Driver Support Expanded for ASUS and HP Laptops in Linux 7.1-rc5

The development of the next stable release of the Linux kernel is progressing steadily. According to a report from Phoronix on May 23, 2026, platform driver patches for Linux 7.1-rc5 have been merged, adding support for several ASUS and HP laptop models.

Expanded Support for ASUS Armoury Driver The “ASUS Armoury” driver, which enables additional settings and functionality control for ASUS laptops on Linux, continues to see improvements. In the latest merge for rc5, several bug fixes have been implemented, and support has been added for the following four models: - ASUS TUF A14 Ryzen AI Max+ FA401EA — A 14-inch TUF Gaming series laptop featuring the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ processor. - ASUS TUF Gaming F16 2025 FX607VU — A 16-inch gaming laptop with an Intel Core 5 processor, part of the 2025 lineup. - ASUS ROG Strix G16 2025 G614FR — A 16-inch model combining an AMD Ryzen SoC with NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics. - ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 2025 GU605CP — A flagship 16-inch model equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics. Of particular interest is the ROG Zephyrus G16 2025 GU605CP, a high-performance machine featuring Intel’s top-tier mobile processor and NVIDIA’s newest flagship GPU. The rapid inclusion of support for such cutting-edge hardware is directly contributing to the improved practicality of Linux desktop environments for gaming purposes.

Thermal Management Support Added to HP Omen Series On the HP front, new hardware support has been introduced to the HP WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) driver. Specifically, thermal management support has been enabled for the HP Omen 16-c0xxx (board number 8902). The HP Omen series is a popular lineup of gaming laptops both domestically and internationally. Adding thermal management capabilities to Linux is significant in practical terms, as it enables better fan control and management of CPU/GPU thermal thresholds. Thermal control from the operating system is essential for optimal performance on gaming laptops, and this update is welcome news for Omen users.

Important Battery Protection Fix in Uniwill Driver Among the platform driver updates, one particularly noteworthy fix involves the addition of battery-related safeguards to the Uniwill laptop driver. The Uniwill driver is widely used in laptops sold by German Linux PC manufacturer TUXEDO Computers, among others. The recent fix addresses an issue seen in older laptops manufactured around 2020, where improperly configured battery charge limits could cause permanent damage to the battery. Overcharging or inappropriate charge limits can accelerate the degradation of lithium-ion batteries. Specifically, hardware from around 2020 reportedly experienced inconsistencies in how firmware and OS drivers interpreted charge limit values, subjecting battery cells to excessive stress. The new fix introduces mechanisms to automatically detect and prevent such situations, safeguarding the battery from permanent damage.

The Importance of Linux Kernel Platform Drivers x86 platform drivers are an essential layer for controlling hardware-specific features in laptops—such as fan control, keyboard backlighting, battery management, and performance profile toggling—from the operating system. While official drivers or utilities are commonly provided by manufacturers for Windows, Linux environments rely heavily on driver development by the kernel community. Continuous maintenance and support for new models by manufacturers and community developers directly influence the user experience for Linux users. This latest update is part of such ongoing efforts. The expanded support for ASUS Armoury drivers, the addition of thermal support in HP WMI drivers, and the enhancement of battery protection in Uniwill drivers are all practical improvements that contribute to the growing maturity of Linux desktop environments, particularly for laptops. Linux 7.1-rc5 is scheduled for official release on May 24, and these platform driver updates will be included as part of the changes. As the final stages of testing for the stable release proceed, users can expect to try out these improvements in builds released after rc5.