u/Detcom

Just run a software updates in... Well, software. And was greeted with this. Back to Arch on my X1 Tab I guess :D

Follow up to my 7.2.2 post: https://www.reddit.com/r/LinuxOnThinkpad/comments/1w3fxih/722_release_of_my_custom_linux_kernel_for_amd/

A few of you tried installing it last time and ran into problems. Turns out it wasn't you, it was me.

The Limine and GRUB folks ended up in emergency mode because the release had no kernel modules at all. Without them the initramfs couldn't mount root. Now there's a modules archive in every release, and ext4, btrfs, xfs, f2fs and nvme are built into the kernel on top of that, so root always mounts.

The .efi files were even worse. They had my own kernel command line baked in, including my root partition, so they only ever booted on my laptop. I don't ship prebuilt .efi anymore. You install the kernel and modules and build the initramfs or UKI on your own machine with one command, so it gets your own cmdline.

This time I tested the vmlinuz + modules + initramfs install on the actual release files before uploading, exactly like someone downloading it would do it.

Other stuff:

BBRv3 is actually the default on zen5 now (before it was compiled in, but cubic stayed default)

New third variant, lowadetcom, my personal build for the P14s Gen 6 AMD. amdgpu built in, only the mt7925 wifi driver. Only for that exact laptop

README has install steps for Arch, Fedora and Debian/Ubuntu/Zorin/Mint, plus systemd-boot, GRUB, rEFInd and Limine

Release: https://github.com/Detcom-GH/lowakernel/releases/tag/v7.2.9

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

Big thanks to the E14 Gen 6 and Limine guys from the last thread, you basically found all of this for me. If you try 7.2.9, let me know how it goes, especially on older models and anything that isn't Arch.
Although I'm planning to move to Void Linux soon, so it will be

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 lowakernerl, a custom kernel that strips all of that out and keeps only what AMD ThinkPads actually need. Named after my dog, Lowa, because I love this pup so much.

Current version: 7.2.2

**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:**

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

- `lowakernel-zen5`: znver5, for Ryzen AI 300 series (T14 G5-G6, T16 G3, P14s G5-G6), includes 1000Hz 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 also available for GRUB/rEFInd, you have to generate initframs by yourself though (see readme on github page)

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

Based off linux-zen kernel

This is Lowa taking a nap after compiling a kernel all night.

And this is a continuation of my previous post on lowakernel, a custom linux kernel for amd-powered thinkpads (https://www.reddit.com/r/LinuxOnThinkpad/comments/1ujg5sl/i_built_a_custom_kernel_specifically_for_amd/)

What's new in this release:

• Rebased on Linux 7.2.2-zen1 (first release on the 7.2 series)
• Several build script fixes based on community feedback from previous threads: BBRv3 now actually gets set as the default congestion control (the old way silently didn't survive olddefconfig), the build no longer touches your shared /etc/mkinitcpio.conf (each kernel gets its own config copy now), and the script refuses to build from an already-stripped config so rebuilds stay reproducible
• Added safety checks: missing /etc/kernel/cmdline now fails loudly instead of producing an unbootable UKI, and you get a warning if the microcode hook is missing

What stayed the same: two variants (universal for Zen1+ from T495 onwards, zen5 for Ryzen AI 300 with znver5, 1000Hz tick and BBRv3), UKI files for systemd-boot, vmlinuz for GRUB/rEFInd with initramfs generation instructions in the README.

Honest note after some fair criticism in previous threads: the march flags matter less than I originally claimed (kernel code barely uses SIMD), and zen 7.2 already ships sched_ext, O3 and THP=always out of the box, so the real value here is the trimmed config (smaller initramfs, faster boot, less attack surface) plus the per-variant tick/network tuning. If you want maximum performance with zero maintenance, ALHP repos are a solid alternative. This project is for people who want a kernel that only contains what their ThinkPad actually uses.

As always< feedback welcome, especially from owners of older models (T495, T14 G1/G2, L-series). If something breaks, open an issue.

https://github.com/Detcom-GH/lowakernel/releases/tag/7.2.2

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

Rate my setup? :D

I can't even imagine now, how it was, living on shitdows. Even if it was just a year ago

Got this t440 for 1700 UAH (roughly 38 USD). Void, runit, still a capable computer!

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