On Thu, Mar 5, 2026 at 6:13 PM Alice Sowerby <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Everyone, > > I'm pleased to share the monthly update from the FreeBSD Foundation's > Laptop Support and Usability Project. > > https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/blob/main/monthly-updates/2026-02.md > Note: this repo also contains all previous month's updates. > > We welcome your help in sharing the update wherever possible. > > (You may continue scrolling for the full text content of the update.) > > Thanks, > > Alice. > > Please read on with the understanding that you will need to visit the repo > for the canonical content. > ----------------------------- > # FreeBSD Foundation Laptop Update - February 2026 > NOTE: For more details on any item, please visit the GitHub links provided, > these contain more detail and links to relevant materials such as code > commits. > ## Completed in February > ### Wi-Fi > #### Updated support for RealTek Wi-Fi cards > Wi-Fi 4 and 5 support for the rtw88 and rtw89 Wi-Fi cards will be available > in 15.1 > > GitHub issue: > [#99](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/99) > ## In Review > #### S0i3 Modern Standby > Work is complete, except for an outstanding bug, which is causing some CPUs > to exit the C3 idle state when they shouldn't be. Investigation is ongoing. > > GitHub issue [#32](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/32) > > ### Installation > #### KDE Desktop Installer Option > A desktop environment option for the FreeBSD installer was provided for > community testing in February. Feedback from the testing is now being > incorporated, and the feature remains on track for 15.1. > > GitHub issue: > [#25](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/25) > > ## In Progress > > ### Power > #### S4 hibernation > Development work on saving the computer's state into an S4 image is now > mature enough for development work to start on the wake-up functionality, and > that work has started in February. > > GitHub issue: > [#29](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/29) > > #### Power consumption management tooling > Work is ongoing to enable the Perfetto port to report on power consumption by > key FreeBSD components when running on a laptop. Probes are being created to > detect the power draw of USB-C connected devices, and to detect battery and > kernel events which together can be used to build an understanding of where > power is being used. > > This work is being extended to cover additional power interfaces, enabling a > more complete picture of system power consumption across both Intel and AMD > hardware. > > GitHub issue: [#6](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/6) > > #### Performance management tooling > Work is ongoing to enable a native functionality of AMD processors which > allows users to control some aspects of the laptop's performance using either > a manual or an auto mode. > > This functionality, known as CPPC (Collaborative Processor Performance > Control) will help to improve performance and efficiency of FreeBSD on > laptops which have the relevant processors. > > GitHub issue: > [#108](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/108) > > > #### Debugging tools for low power states > > Work continues on several USB debugging mechanisms that will work in the > absence of a functional graphics driver (needed for low power states). > > There are functional interfaces for usb serial debugging and debugging using > the SoC on 2025 and onwards framework laptops in all FreeBSD verions. FreeBSD > 16 will feature xhci debugging and can be evaluated from active code reviews. > > We are presently documenting these features and will update relevant > materials in time. > > GitHub issues: > [#38](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/38) and > [#90](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/90) > > ### Wi-Fi > > #### Support for MediaTek Wi-Fi cards > Recent driver updates from the manufacturer have been imported, but there are > some dependencies which need to be updated so that everything works as > intended. > > USB support for MediaTek Wi-Fi cards is in progress. > GitHub issue: > [#66](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/66) > > #### WiFi 6 support > Work is in progress, with much of the effort being directed to updating > net80211, an underlying component that is needed to develop the WiFi 6 > functionality. In February, investigations started into which ports break > when net80211 is changed, so that the problems can be understood and resolved. > > GitHub issue: [34](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/34) > > ### Graphics > #### Port of Linux 6.11 Graphics Drivers > Work on porting the Linux 6.11 graphics driver is approximately 50% complete. > > GitHub issue: [#52]( > https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/52) > > ### System management > #### Making pkgbasify more efficient > > Work is continuing to improve the efficiency of how pkgbasify works. > > GitHub issue: > [#91](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/91) > > ### Integration testing > > #### Holistic testing for laptop project functionality > Testing of available (completed) *Laptop Project* functionality is now > complete for the [Framework 13 7040 Ryzen > system](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/blob/main/supported/laptops.md), > a Framework desktop machine and a Lenovo Yoga 11e. > > A simple community contributor testing workflow is due to be announced in > March so users can submit results of standardized testing scripts. > > A proof-of-concept for a queryable public laptop compatibility reference for > users is also progressing. We hope to incorporate and build on existing > similar community resources to produce a sustainable, improved page. > > See the dedicated GitHub repo for more information: > https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/freebsd-laptop-testing/blob/main/monthly-updates/2026-02.md > > > > ## Acknowledgements > > The FreeBSD Foundation would like to exend its thanks everyone who has > contributed to this project, both this month and previously. > > Thanks go out to: > * Our developers > * Alfonso Siciliano > * Aymeric Wibo > * Bjoern Zeeb > * Christos Margiolis > * Isaac Freund > * Jean-Sebastien Pedron > * Li-Wen Hsu > * Mitchell Horne > * Olivier Certner > * Siva Mahadevan > * Tom Jones > * The project team: > * Deb Goodkin > * Ed Maste > * Joe Mingrone > * Alice Sowerby > * The Laptop and Desktop Working Group > * Chris Moerz > * All attendees > * The FreeBSD Project > * Quantum Leap Research > * AMD, who have helped in troubleshooting sleep issues. > * Dell, who have donated the UVC kernel driver. > * Future Crew, who provided the iwx > driver source code. > * Netflix, who have been testing our scheduler patchsets > > Please refer to the [README](../README.md) for more information about the > FreeBSD Foundation's Laptop Project. > > -- > Alice Sowerby > Part-time Technical Program Manager > M +44 7787 953393
BIG THANK YOU! :-) -- CeDeROM, SQ7MHZ, http://www.tomek.cedro.info
