Qualcomm starts restricting Linux support on Snapdragon laptops

In May 2024, Qualcomm said Snapdragon X Elite would continue its Linux upstreaming work, and outside coverage at the time pointed to a roadmap that still included camera, video, GPU support, suspend and resume, firmware distribution, and simpler distro installs.

However, Qualcomm has closed GitHub issue for open-sourcing Snapdragon X DSP headers with the message that there are “no plans to open source DSP headers as of now.” This does not stop Linux from booting on Snapdragon X laptops, but it does close off route toward proper upstream-friendly support.

This may help explain why TUXEDO canceled its Snapdragon X1 Elite Linux laptop after more than 18 months. The company said the chip was less suitable for Linux than expected, citing problems with BIOS updates, fan control, KVM virtualization, USB4, video decoding, and battery life.

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