I believe the Apple Thuderbolt-to-Firewire is built with an TI chip and will work out of the box under Linux

There are people running Apple adapter successfully under Linux

Check this thread..https://sourceforge.net/p/ffado/mailman/ffado-user/thread/20160517022618.GJ30050%40marvin.atrad.com.au/

Where someone says:
"
 I am also using an Apple Thunderbolt-Firewire adapter without any problems.
   This is using Arch Linux on a Lenovo T430s which also has an ExpressCard
   slot - I've tried using the ExpressCard-Firewire adapter I used with my
   previous laptop but the Thunderbolt adapter seems more stable (not sure
   whether because of Firewire chip or other reasons).
"

2017-10-12 15:14 GMT+02:00 David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>:
Bernardo Barros <bernardo.barros-RWB/UN2hA5c@public.gmane.org> writes:

> Hello
>
> I have a quick question. I have an old MOTU Ultralite that works well
> with a thinkpad, which has a firewire I/O. Current Thinkpads don't
> have firewire, but some have thunderbolt. My old soundcard would work
> on a new thinkpad with an adapter, like it does with other OS's?

Coming back to the original question: Apple offers reasonably affordable
Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adapters (Firewire 800, one connection, about
$30).  I have no idea how the driver situation for a Thinkpad (or even a
Mac) would look under Linux.  "Requires OS x v 10.7.4 or later" does not
exactly sound like a long-supported standard chip.

--
David Kastrup
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