After launching the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Plus series for Windows-on-Arm, Qualcomm is bringing first-class support to Linux. The internal developer team has been working to integrate full SoC support into the Linux kernel. Currently, the focus is on supporting the X2 SoC in traditional laptop configurations rather than desktop mini PCs.

Initial enablement includes the Hexagon NPU, Adreno GPU, and the CPU cluster. Modern browser acceleration, graphics, I/O peripherals, display output, and AI acceleration for local inferencing have been added. The support now also includes proper power and thermal control, as well as reliability under load.

Qualcomm is pushing all hardware enablement upstream to the Linux kernel and has collaborated with Debian to get the latest image working. Basic workloads will now run out of the box. More peripherals are being added, and edge cases like power spikes during workloads will be addressed in long-term enablement.

This work in progress is expected to finish in November this year, after which Qualcomm plans to continue adding more OEMs to the Snapdragon X2 bandwagon and potentially bring these PCs with a Linux-based OS pre-installed.