u/Detcom

I find your lack of Linux disturbing

Update on my AMD ThinkPad kernel project (formerly detkernel, now lowakernel)

Posted about this a little while back (https://www.reddit.com/r/LinuxOnThinkpad/comments/1u5s2p2/i_built_a_custom_kernel_specifically_for_amd/)

Renamed it to lowakernel (named after my dog, seemed more fitting and less egocentric, and also because I love this pup so much). Made some changes based on feedback:

- Updated to Linux 7.1.2-zen2

- Added Secure Boot / MOK signing instructions to the README

- Fixed NTSYNC missing from the universal build (it's a module now, loads automatically)

- Enabled CONFIG_ATH_REG_DYNAMIC_USER_REG_HINTS per a suggestion in the comments

- Build scripts and .config files are now in the repo so anyone can verify or build it themselves

Still two variants: universal (Zen1+) and zen5 (Ryzen AI 300, adds 500Hz tick, BBRv3, NTSYNC by default).

https://github.com/Detcom-GH/lowakernel

My most beloved piece of hardware

Hey r/thinkpad,

I've been running AMD ThinkPads for a while and always felt like the stock kernel carries a lot of dead weight — Intel CPU/GPU drivers, NVIDIA, Dell/HP/Asus vendor blobs, server SCSI controllers, legacy filesystems, ancient WiFi drivers from 2003. None of that belongs on a ThinkPad.

So I built detkernel — a custom kernel that strips all of that out and keeps only what AMD ThinkPads actually need.

**What's removed:**

- Intel CPU/GPU (i915, xe, microcode)

- NVIDIA (nouveau)

- All non-ThinkPad vendor drivers (Dell, HP, Asus, Sony, Apple...)

- Server SCSI controllers (Adaptec, LSI, HP SmartArray...)

- Legacy WiFi (Prism, ZyDAS, old Ralink, IPW2100/2200...)

- Dead filesystems (ReiserFS, HFS, UFS, JFFS2...)

- Legacy network protocols (AppleTalk, ATM, X.25...)

**What stays:**

- Full AMD support (Zen1–Zen5, RDNA GPU, ACP audio, PMC, P-state)

- All ThinkPad WiFi chips (Intel AX, Qualcomm WCN, MediaTek MT7921/MT7925, Realtek RTW89)

- Realtek LAN (it's in every ThinkPad)

- HDA Realtek audio + USB audio

- ThinkPad ACPI, HID Lenovo

- KVM/AMD, VFIO

**Two variants:**

- `detkernel-universal` — x86-64-v3, works on all AMD ThinkPads (T495 and newer)

- `detkernel-zen5` — znver5, for Ryzen AI 300 series (T14 G5-G6, T16 G3, P14s G5-G6), includes 500Hz tick, BBRv3 TCP, NTSYNC for Wine/Proton

Distributed as UKI (.efi) for systemd-boot users — just drop it in /boot/EFI/Linux/ and reboot. vmlinuz + initramfs also available for GRUB/rEFInd.

GitHub: https://github.com/Detcom-GH/detkernel