Foundation update - February 2026

Hi Everyone,

I'm pleased to share the monthly update from the FreeBSD Foundation's
Laptop Support and Usability Project.

https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/blob/main/monthly-updates/2026-02.md
Note: this repo also contains all previous month's updates.

We welcome your help in sharing the update wherever possible.

(You may continue scrolling for the full text content of the update.)

Thanks,

Alice.

Please read on with the understanding that you will need to visit the repo
for the canonical content.
-----------------------------
# FreeBSD Foundation Laptop Update - February 2026
NOTE: For more details on any item, please visit the GitHub links provided,
these contain more detail and links to relevant materials such as code
commits.
## Completed in February
### Wi-Fi
#### Updated support for RealTek Wi-Fi cards
Wi-Fi 4 and 5 support for the rtw88 and rtw89 Wi-Fi cards will be available
in 15.1

GitHub issue: [#99](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/99)
## In Review
#### S0i3 Modern Standby
Work is complete, except for an outstanding bug, which is causing some CPUs
to exit the C3 idle state when they shouldn't be. Investigation is ongoing.

GitHub issue [#32](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/32)

### Installation
#### KDE Desktop Installer Option
A desktop environment option for the FreeBSD installer was provided for
community testing in February. Feedback from the testing is now being
incorporated, and the feature remains on track for 15.1.

GitHub issue: [#25](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/25)

## In Progress

### Power
#### S4 hibernation
Development work on saving the computer's state into an S4 image is now
mature enough for development work to start on the wake-up functionality,
and that work has started in February.

GitHub issue: [#29](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/29)

#### Power consumption management tooling
Work is ongoing to enable the Perfetto port to report on power consumption
by key FreeBSD components when running on a laptop. Probes are being
created to detect the power draw of USB-C connected devices, and to detect
battery and kernel events which together can be used to build an
understanding of where power is being used.

This work is being extended to cover additional power interfaces, enabling
a more complete picture of system power consumption across both Intel and
AMD hardware.

GitHub issue: [#6](https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/6
)

#### Performance management tooling
Work is ongoing to enable a native functionality of AMD processors which
allows users to control some aspects of the laptop's performance using
either a manual or an auto mode.

This functionality, known as CPPC (Collaborative Processor Performance
Control) will help to improve performance and efficiency of FreeBSD on
laptops which have the relevant processors.

GitHub issue: [#108](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/108)


#### Debugging tools for low power states

Work continues on several USB debugging mechanisms that will work in the
absence of a functional graphics driver (needed for low power states).

There are functional interfaces for usb serial debugging and debugging
using the SoC on 2025 and onwards framework laptops in all FreeBSD verions.
FreeBSD 16 will feature xhci debugging and can be evaluated from active
code reviews.

We are presently documenting these features and will update relevant
materials in time.

GitHub issues: [#38](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/38) and [#90](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/90)

### Wi-Fi

#### Support for MediaTek Wi-Fi cards
Recent driver updates from the manufacturer have been imported, but there
are some dependencies which need to be updated so that everything works as
intended.

USB support for MediaTek Wi-Fi cards is in progress.
GitHub issue: [#66](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/66)

#### WiFi 6 support
Work is in progress, with much of the effort being directed to updating
net80211, an underlying component that is needed to develop the WiFi 6
functionality. In February, investigations started into which ports break
when net80211 is changed, so that the problems can be understood and
resolved.

GitHub issue: [34](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/34)

### Graphics
#### Port of Linux 6.11 Graphics Drivers
Work on porting the Linux 6.11 graphics driver is approximately 50%
complete.

GitHub issue: [#52](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/52)

### System management
#### Making pkgbasify more efficient

Work is continuing to improve the efficiency of how pkgbasify works.

GitHub issue: [#91](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/issues/91)

### Integration testing

#### Holistic testing for laptop project functionality
Testing of available (completed) *Laptop Project* functionality is now
complete for the [Framework 13 7040 Ryzen system](
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/proj-laptop/blob/main/supported/laptops.md),
a Framework desktop machine and a Lenovo Yoga 11e.

A simple community contributor testing workflow is due to be announced in
March so users can submit results of standardized testing scripts.

A proof-of-concept for a queryable public laptop compatibility reference
for users is also progressing. We hope to incorporate and build on existing
similar community resources to produce a sustainable, improved page.

See the dedicated GitHub repo for more information:
https://github.com/FreeBSDFoundation/freebsd-laptop-testing/blob/main/monthly-updates/2026-02.md



## Acknowledgements

The FreeBSD Foundation would like to exend its thanks everyone who has
contributed to this project, both this month and previously.

Thanks go out to:
* Our developers
  * Alfonso Siciliano
  * Aymeric Wibo
  * Bjoern Zeeb
  * Christos Margiolis
  * Isaac Freund
  * Jean-Sebastien Pedron
  * Li-Wen Hsu
  * Mitchell Horne
  * Olivier Certner
  * Siva Mahadevan
  * Tom Jones
* The project team:
  * Deb Goodkin
  * Ed Maste
  * Joe Mingrone
  * Alice Sowerby
* The Laptop and Desktop Working Group
  * Chris Moerz
  * All attendees
* The FreeBSD Project
* Quantum Leap Research
* AMD, who have helped in troubleshooting sleep issues.
* Dell, who have donated the UVC kernel driver.
* Future Crew, who provided the iwx
driver source code.
* Netflix, who have been testing our scheduler patchsets

Please refer to the [README](../README.md) for more information about the
FreeBSD Foundation's Laptop Project.

-- 
Alice Sowerby
Part-time Technical Program Manager
M +44 7787 953393