Updated Ubuntu 24.10 Install Image Released For Snapdragon X1 Elite Laptops

[alexenv]

That's because on most consumer ARM devices, the device tree (basically the list of all peripherals connected to the main device board) is attached to the kernel boot image. On one hand, this allows one to tune the GPU voltage steps quite easily through the kernel sources, but it also makes it hard to come up with a generic kernel image that all devices can use.

The firmware can pass a device tree just like it does ACPI, but vendors could care less. Granted, it's a bit early for that, as mainline support is far from complete and moves quickly. Once it all lands in mainline it's usually not going to suffer any breaking changes.

[alexenv]

I think it's time to move beyond x86, and so I'd be willing to vote with my $$$. With Qualcomm directly supporting Linux on their device, that puts them ahead of Apple in my book.

Only real advantage of Arm is power efficiency at this point. If they lose that, good luck in this market. x86 is still miles ahead in software support, I don't see much reason to move beyond just for the sake of it. Having to emulate games & other proprietary software is arguably worse for compatibility, performance and battery life.

[Vortex Acherontic]

Since Tumbleweed usually has exceptional hardware support I wonder if their ARM images do run on Snapdragon X1 Elite SoCs 🤔

But I am not going to buy one just to try this 😅

[Smurphy]

I think it's time to move beyond x86, and so I'd be willing to vote with my $$$. With Qualcomm directly supporting Linux on their device, that puts them ahead of Apple in my book.

P.S. thanks for the link!

I that case , I'd rather go with a Risc V based system. Because, totally open

[geerge]

Only real advantage of Arm is power efficiency at this point. If they lose that, good luck in this market. x86 is still miles ahead in software support, I don't see much reason to move beyond just for the sake of it. Having to emulate games & other proprietary software is arguably worse for compatibility, performance and battery life.

Does it though? Apple's power efficiency largely comes from paying for the best node years in advance, the CPU using the closest node to Zen5 is Apple's M2. They also heavily sacrifice die area to increase power efficiency in consumer parts, something no other competitor does because they are competing not feeding expensive parts to locked in sheep. It's apple that has carved out a power efficiency advantage, they just so happened to do it with an Arm base. Qualcomm hasn't convinced me that they have released a part worth paying attention to yet, seems like it needs more time in the oven for software support and for hardware design.

Arm had an advantage in server where scaling cores works really well as it means each core is where it should be on the efficiency curve (not pushed beyond like is often the case with consumer parts), but AMD has accelerated their core scaling to such a degree that the arm offerings don't look so appealing. They can still compete and big players will spin their own versions which will help temper AMD if intel fully shits the bed so they are important for the server market, but for the foreseeable x86 will remain the default in server.

[mittorn]

I can select wifi networks etc in the system topbar popup thing without issues.

I mean performance. Simple test: run some app with animation (glmark/glxgears/vkgears) and try open menu. At least, on debian on sm8250 it causing about 200ms animation freeze/stutter. This is not so noticable on amd64 devices usually

[mlau]

The only reason to buy a Snapdragon X based laptop is because you're a sadist, or they're heavily discounted

As owner of a X1E device I wholeheartedly agree here. Wait until qualcomm has their (Linux)act together; intel/amd laptops are a breeze to get working in comparison.

[coder]

I that case , I'd rather go with a Risc V based system. Because, totally open

This isn't a serious comment. What's available in RISC-V is shit, by comparison. If you don't care about practical concerns and are buying purely on ideology, then go ahead and get a RISC-V laptop, but none would meet my requirements.

Also, not totally open. I think every general-purpose commercial RISC-V implementation currently has proprietary firmware blobs, at this point.

[coder]

Only real advantage of Arm is power efficiency at this point.

Apple M3 vs. Lunar Lake shows that ARM cores can provide performance better on the same process node.

x86 is still miles ahead in software support,

Not in anything I care about.

Having to emulate games & other proprietary software is arguably worse for compatibility, performance and battery life.

This is phoronix. Why the fuck do you think I give a shit about proprietary software? I don't play games and sure wouldn't buy a thin & light laptop for gaming, even if I did.

[coder]

Apple's power efficiency largely comes from paying for the best node years in advance, the CPU using the closest node to Zen5 is Apple's M2.

Typical PC Master Race copium. No, look at Apple M3 vs. Lunar Lake. Exact same process node. Lunar Lake is the most power-efficient x86 and the M3 still beats it.

They also heavily sacrifice die area to increase power efficiency in consumer parts,

This is also a lie. Lunar Lake cores are much bigger than the M3's. Lunar Lake has significantly more total cache, as well.

AMD has accelerated their core scaling to such a degree that the arm offerings don't look so appealing.

The spot pricing on AWS Graviton 4 instances suggest that TCO of ARM is still lower than any x86 options.

for the foreseeable x86 will remain the default in server.

Wishing for a thing and saying it doesn't make it so.