Linux Continues Playing Catch Up To Windows For Desktop Hardware Monitoring Support

In recent kernel versions there has been an uptick in new driver activity around improving hardware sensor monitoring support for AMD/Intel desktop motherboards, but still it's generally behind that of the support found under Microsoft Windows. With Linux 5.19 there is more hardware monitoring "HWMON" subsystem work with improving sensor coverage on various motherboards and other components.

HWMON subsystem maintainer Guenter Roeck sent in all the hardware monitoring updates for Linux 5.19, which have already been pulled into the kernel.

With the new ASUS EC Sensors driver that was added in v5.18, for Linux 5.19 that driver now adds support for the ROG STRIX X570-E GAMING WIFI II, PRIME X470-PRO, and ProArt X570 Creator WIFI motherboards. Also enabled in the asus-ec-sensors driver is handling external temperature sensors on the ASUS WS X570-ACE motherboard.

There has been a lot of recent ASUS motherboard sensor support work under Linux, but not from ASUS itself -- rather the open-source community.

Meanwhile the nct6775 driver for that sensor IC has added support for the ASUS PRO H410T, ASUS PRIME H410M-R, and ASUS ROG X570-E GAMING WIFI II motherboards.

Aside from desktop motherboard sensor work, the Aquacomputer driver around since Linux 5.15 last year has expanded its product support. The Aquacomputer Octo fan controller and Aquacomputer Farbwerk controller are now compatible with this driver.

Some of the other hardware monitoring changes for Linux 5.19 include a new driver for the Microchip LAN966x SoC, Atmel AT30TS74 in the lm75 driver, MAX16602 support in the max16601 driver, and various low-level code improvements.

The full list of HWMON updates for Linux 5.19 can be found via this pull of since-merged additions.

Meanwhile outside of HWMON proper, by way of the x86 platform drivers pull is also Gigabyte WMI driver additions for adding support in Linux 5.19 for the WMI sensors on the Gigabyte Z490 AORUS ELITE AC, X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI, and B660 GAMING X DDR4 motherboards.