Linux 6.4 Brings Improved MSI Laptop Support, Apple GMUX Support For T2 Macs

The x86 platform driver updates for the Linux 6.4 kernel merge window have landed. This includes numerous x86 laptop driver benefits as well as other new features for the platform-drivers-x86 subsystem.

Headlining the x86 platform driver updates in Linux 6.4 is the new "msi-ec" driver. The msi-ec driver is improving MSI laptop support on Linux thanks to this driver work done independently of MSI. This driver enables the embedded controller (EC) found on newer MSI laptops for power profile (shift mode) handling, fan speed controls, battery charging thresholds, toggling the integrated web camera, exposing more temperatures, keyboard backlight brightness handling, and other features.

After undergoing review the past few months, the MSI EC driver is being mainlined with Linux 6.4.

Another new driver coming in Linux 6.4 is the mode switch driver for Lenovo Yoga laptops that are convertibles/2-in-1 designs. With the Lenovo Yoga mode switch driver the proper tablet mode switch event is mapped so the Linux user-space can properly behave when going into tablet mode.

The platform drivers x86 updates also include Intel Speed Select adding TPMI support, Intel In-Field Scan (IFS) improvements, and support for new MMIO-based T2 Macs with the Apple GMUX driver. The Apple GMUX support allows for dual-GPU graphics switching with newer Macs. The x86-android-tablets driver for dealing with quirky Android tablets also continues to see new hardware support.

More details on the x86 platform driver feature changes for Linux 6.4 can be found via this pull request.