Running Void Linux on a laptop

Hardware

  • ThinkBook 13s G2-ITL

Kernel

  • blacklist ideapad_laptop module in modprobe.d (old module that isn’t useful anymore);

Power management

  • enable acpid, if not enabled;
  • install tlp, enable its service;
  • configure elogind to ignore ACPI events: set all Handle* keywords to ignore in logind.conf;
  • use powertop to diagnose powerusage;

Network

  • note: iwlwifi spams some errors in dmesg, seem to work fine though (iwlwifi: Unhandled alg: 0x71b);
  • disable wpa_supplicate service, if enabled;
  • install connman, enable service, configure via connmanctl; upd: connman seems unstable and noisy;
  • ended up using dhcpcd + iwd;
    • had to add UseDefaultInterface=true in [General] section of /etc/iwd/main.conf, according to Void’s handbook.

Graphics

  • mesa works out of the box;
  • for vulkan, install mesa-vulkan-intel;

Sound

  • note: initially had issues with sound device not working: had to add options snd_hda_intel dmic_detect=0 in modprobe.d;
  • install pipewire, enable pipewire-pulse in pipewire config;
  • start pipewire as a user on desktop login;
    • note: maybe create a user runit service for it;

Desktop

  • currently running a pure Wayland (xwayland disabled) desktop with Sway – no issues so far;
  • elogind and dbus are required for Sway;
  • start sway with dbus-run-session sway;
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