Qualcomm Snapdragon X Chips Fail: Linux Kernel Patch Now Disables GPU by Default on Chips

In May 2024, Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon X series chips, including the Snapdragon X Pro and Snapdragon X Elite, which are designed for desktop devices, mainly used in laptops like those equipped with Copilot+PC.

At that time, Qualcomm detailed in a blog post how it took measures to make Linux a first-class operating system on Snapdragon X series laptops. However, Linux users who purchased these laptops have since discovered significant issues.

A recent Linux Kernel DeviceTree patch has completely disabled the GPU module on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, which could severely affect users' normal usage since the GPU cannot function.

Why would the kernel patch disable the GPU module? Essentially, it boils down to Qualcomm previously only releasing press statements for promotion without disclosing existing limitations, as the GPU on the Snapdragon X Elite requires something called a ZAP shader to function properly.

A patch released on July 15 by kernel member Dmitry Baryshkov shows:

The GPU on X1E80100 requires a ZAP shader file to function, which is signed with an OEM key, making it unusable by default. The patch disables the GPU node and removes the firmware name file from x1e80100.dtsi. Devices not fused with the OEM key can manually enable it.

According to Linux Kernel's mailing list, the ZAP shader is essential, but by default, the GPU starts in a special "secure" mode that must be disabled. As for the OEM key signing of the ZAP shader, Qualcomm seems not to have mentioned it before.

The current situation is that all Linux-installed Snapdragon X Elite laptops will have their GPUs disabled after installing the latest kernel patch. For Qualcomm, if even the GPU cannot function properly, their statement about making Linux a first-class operating platform on the Snapdragon X platform becomes entirely meaningless.