Unofficial Linux Kernel Module for Acer Gaming RGB Keyboard Backlight and Turbo Mode (Acer Predator , Nitro)

The code base is still in its early stages, as I’ve just started working on developing this kernel module. It's a bit messy at the moment, but I’m hopeful that, with your help, we can collaborate to improve its structure and make it more organized over time.

Inspired by acer-predator-turbo, which has a similar goal, this project was born out of my own challenges. I faced issues detecting the Turbo key and ended up using acer_wmi, but it lacked key features like RGB , custom fan support, battery limiter, and more. As a result, I decided to implement these missing features in my own project.

🚀 One-Time Installation (Module will not persist after reboot)

To begin, identify your current kernel version:

uname -r

Install the appropriate Linux headers based on your kernel version. This module has been tested with kernel version 6.12. For Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S linux612-headers

Next, clone the repository and build the module:

git clone https://github.com/0x7375646F/Linuwu-Sense.git
cd Linuwu-Sense
make

The make command will remove the current acer_wmi module and load the patched version.

⚠️ Warning!

Use at your own risk! This driver is independently developed through reverse engineering the official PredatorSense app, without any involvement from Acer. It interacts with low-level WMI methods, which may not be tested across all models.

🛠️ Usage

Example Usage and Configuration

Thermal profiles can be easily switched with a single click! 😎 For battery mode, you can choose between Eco and Balanced, while when plugged into AC, you have the options for Quiet, Balanced, Performance, and Turbo. ⚡💻 Each profile will be different for battery and AC, and the thermal and fan settings will automatically adjust based on your current power source. Customize it to fit your preferences! 🌟

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For Predator laptops, the following path is used: /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense

For Nitro laptops, the following path is used: /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/nitro_sense

predator_sense – This directory includes all the features, excluding the custom boot logo functionality. four_zoned_kb – If your keyboard is four-zoned, this directory provides support for it. Unfortunately, there is no support for per-key RGB keyboards. Here is how to interact with the Virtual Filesystems (VFS) mounted in this path:

1. Backlight Timeout ⏰

This feature turns off the keyboard RGB after 30 seconds of idle mode.

• 0 – Disabled
• 1 – Enabled

To check the current status, use:

cat /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/backlight_timeout

To change the state, use:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/backlight_timeout

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2. Battery Calibration 🔋

This function calibrates your battery to provide a more accurate percentage reading. It involves charging the battery to 100%, draining it to 0%, and recharging it back to 100%. Do not unplug the laptop from AC power during calibration.

• 1 – Start calibration
• 0 – Stop calibration

To check the current status:

cat /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/battery_calibration

To change the state:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/battery_calibration

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3. Battery Limiter ⚡

Limits battery charging to 80%, preserving battery health for laptops primarily used while plugged into AC power.

• 1 – Enabled
• 0 – Disabled

To check the current status:

cat /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/battery_limiter

To change the state:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/battery_limiter

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4. Boot Animation Sound 🎶

Enables or disables custom boot animation and sound.

• 1 – Enabled
• 0 – Disabled

To check the current status:

cat /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/boot_animation_sound

To change the state:

echo 0 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/boot_animation_sound

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5. Fan Speed 🌬️

Controls the CPU and GPU fan speeds.

• 0 – Auto
• 1 – Minimum fan speed (not recommended)
• 100 – Maximum fan speed
• Other values like 50, 55, 70 can be set according to your preference.

Example (set CPU to 50 and GPU to 70):

echo 50,70 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/fan_speed

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6. LCD Override 🖥️

Reduces LCD latency and minimizes ghosting.

• 1 – Enabled
• 0 – Disabled

To check the current status:

cat /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/lcd_override

To change the state:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/lcd_override

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7. USB Charging ⚡

Allows the USB charging port to provide power even when the laptop is off.

• 0 – Disabled
• 10 – Provides power until battery reaches 10%
• 20 – Provides power until battery reaches 20%
• 30 – Provides power until battery reaches 30%

To check the current status:

cat /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/usb_charging

To change the state:

echo 20 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/predator_sense/usb_charging

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💻 Keyboard Configuration

Directory: four_zoned_kb

The four_zoned_kb directory contains two Virtual File Systems (VFS) that control the RGB backlight behavior of the four-zone keyboard:

1. four_zone_mode
2. per_zone_mode

1. Per-Zone Mode (per_zone_mode) 🎨

This mode allows you to set a specific RGB color for each of the four keyboard zones individually. Each zone is represented by an RGB value in hexadecimal format (e.g., 4287f5 where 42 is Red, 87 is Green, and f5 is Blue).

• Parameters:

  • The per_zone_mode file accepts four parameters, one for each zone, separated by commas.
  • Each parameter represents the RGB value for a specific zone in the format RRGGBB.

• Example:

To set all four zones to the same color (4287f5):

echo 4287f5,4287f5,4287f5,4287f5 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/four_zoned_kb/per_zone_mode

To set each zone with unique colors:

echo 4287f5,ff5733,33ff57,ff33a6 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/four_zoned_kb/per_zone_mode

When reading (cat) the per_zone_mode file, the current color values for each zone are displayed in the format:

4287f5,4287f5,4287f5,4287f5

This indicates the current RGB color for each of the four zones.

**Four-Zone Mode (four_zone_mode) ✨ **

The four_zone_mode controls advanced RGB effects for your keyboard, requiring seven parameters:

• Parameters:

  • Mode (0-7): Lighting effect type (e.g., static, breathing, wave).
  • Speed (0-9): Speed of the effect (if applicable).
  • Brightness (0-100): Intensity of the lighting effect.
  • Direction (1-2): Direction of the effect (1 = right to left, 2 = left to right).
  • Red (0-255), Green (0-255), Blue (0-255): RGB color values.

• Modes:

  • 0: Static Mode – Fixed color, no animation.
  • 1: Breathing Mode – Color fades in and out.
  • 2: Neon Mode – Neon glow effect, fixed color (black), direction ignored.
  • 3: Wave Mode – Wave-like effect, color transitions across the keyboard.
  • 4: Shifting Mode – Shifting light effect, full control over speed, direction, and color.
  • 5: Zoom Mode – Zoom effect, direction ignored.
  • 6: Meteor Mode – Meteor-like effect, direction ignored.
  • 7: Twinkling Mode – Twinkling light effect, direction ignored.

• Example Command:

  Set to Neon Mode with speed 1, full brightness, and top-to-bottom direction:

  echo 3,1,100,2,0,0,0 | sudo tee /sys/module/linuwu_sense/drivers/platform:acer-wmi/acer-wmi/four_zoned_kb/four_zone_mode

  Explanation:

  • 3: Neon Mode
  • 1: Speed (1)
  • 100: Full brightness
  • 2: Direction (top to bottom)
  • 0: Red (black for Neon)
  • 0: Green (black for Neon)
  • 0: Blue (black for Neon)

The thermal and fan profiles will be saved and loaded on each reboot, ensuring that the settings remain persistent across restarts.

🚧 Roadmap:

• GUI for keyboard rgb controls to make it noob friendly.
• Module Persistence After Reboot.
• Custom Boot Logo Feature Support.
• More device support currently only ( PHN16-71 ) is fully supported.

License

GNU General Public License v3

💖 Donations

Donations are completely optional but show your love for open-source development and motivate me to add more features to this project! USDT (BEP20 - BNB Smart Chain): 0xDA7aa42B9Fc3041F20f4Ec828A70E9bDD54A6822