Samsung Galaxy Book4 for Linux

This repository merge information about my Linux usage with Samsung Galaxy Book4 (Base model NP750XGJ-KG2BR).

I'm using Fedora 43 KDE Edition to daily driver, and perform test and benchmarks.

Note

If you find another issues or solution for every variant ("Base", Pro, 360, 360 Pro, Ultra), let us know! Contributions are welcome!

Important

Some problems were fixed by updating the device firmware, and it's only available through Windows Update.

Keeping dual boot with Windows it's a good catch, at least till the device is not supported by the OEM (Samsung).

Known issues

Really slow charging / Slow wake from sleep

Description

• AC adapter provides small charging rate while in Linux;
• Pluging AC adapter before Linux boot provides the "correct" charge rate.

Solution

1. Firmware update through Windows Update; or
2. Add kernel parameters to change ACPI behavior (see related discussion).

---

Fn hotkeys and platform-specific settings doesn't works

Description

• Some Fn keys are related to the platform:
  • Fn + Esc for Open Samsung Assistance;
  • Fn + F1 for Open Settings App;
  • Fn + F5 for Enable/Disable Touchpad;
  • Fn + F10 for Enable/Disable Mic and Webcam;
  • Fn + F11 for Change Platform Power Profiles;
  • Fn + F12 for Enable/Disable Fn Key Lock.
• Cannot read or control fans.
• Cannot change battery charge end threshold, aka Battery Protection.
• Power profiles controls (Performance and energy control).

Solution

• Use Linux kernel version since 6.15; or build and install samsung-galaxybook-extras kernel module against kernel version < 6.15;

Thoughts

• This solution also solves bad energy management and some GPU performance issues related to power profiles.

---

Built-in speakers volume are too quiet

Description

• Built-in speaker is inaudible when volume is lower than 10%.

Thoughts

• The same issue occurs when using a Samsung USB-C Earphone in any device, both speakers and earphone are manufatured by AKG.
• Maybe this discussion is useful to find a way to solve the problem.

---

Built-in monitor screen brightness changes struggles

Description

• When the screen brightness change hotkey is pressed the screen brightness takes a second to apply.
• If the hotkey is kept pressed the brightness screen intensity jumps to a higher intensity instead of increasing gradually.

Thoughts

• It works normally when using an external keyboard shortcut to change the screen brightness.

---

Battery disconnects from AC when fully charged

Description

• While the AC adapter is plugged and the battery is already full, intermittently, the AC disconnects from battery than reconnects again.

Thoughts

• This occurs since firmware update P07CFP.020.250208.HQ.
• The charge cable can with malfunction.

---

Vulkan on Intel Iris Xe Graphics on Linux have massively less GPU performance compared to Windows 11

Description

Geekbench 6 Windows 11 Pro vs Fedora 42 Vulkan benchmark

• Any app that uses Vulkan natively or uses some kind of Vulkan-based translation layer: struggles, have really low performance, and/or have high latency.

Thoughts

• As I can see there is no real effort to solve Xe/Xe-LP/iGPU problems, and Intel will focus on improving Xe-LPG+/dGPU even on Windows, so I don't know if it can be solved.
• The Samsung Galaxy Book kernel module solves bad energy management and GPU performance issues (available since kernel 6.15).
• Forcing Xe kernel module now provides the same experience as i915 module, i.e. no strange gliches when booting or running apps.
• Xe kernel module still in early development and the Linux kernel still using i915 kernel module by default; and/or
• The Samsung custom firmware makes a lot of changes to perform better on Windows, and not perform well on Linux, i.e. no platform support yet.