FreeBSD Closes the Laptop Gap: Year One Project Update

4 months ago

FreeBSD's Laptop Support & Usability Project in 2025 has made significant progress with a $750k investment.
Wi-Fi support expanded to include Wi-Fi 4 and 5, with initial work on Wi-Fi 6 for Intel and Realtek hardware.
Graphics drivers updated to Linux 6.9, with Linux 6.10 in progress for newer laptops like the Framework 16" AMD Ryzen AI 300 series.
Audio improvements include new utilities (sndctl and mididump), bug fixes, and initial HDA sound card redirection support.
Installer updates in FreeBSD 15.0 include firmware package downloads post-installation, with KDE desktop installation coming in 15.1.
Sleep states work includes modern standby (S0i3) in 15.1 and hibernate (S4) possibly in 15.2, with related functionalities like disk encryption on hibernate.
2026 plans focus on completing sleep states, supporting Linux 6.18 graphics, Wi-Fi 6, USB4/Thunderbolt, HDMI, UVC webcams, and Bluetooth.
A community testing program starts in January 2026, inviting volunteers to test functionality across various hardware.
The project highlights the importance of community contributions for meaningful progress in FreeBSD's ecosystem.

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