Have an Acer laptop running Arch Linux? You're in the right place.
A modular compatibility suite for Acer laptops running Arch Linux and Arch-based distributions. Provides hardware-aware detection, kernel driver installation, a GTK4 control panel with D-Bus IPC and polkit authorization, and targeted fixes for a broad range of Acer laptop issues on Linux.
| Model Family | Fan/RGB (Driver) | Battery Limit | GPU Switching | Touchpad Fix | Audio Fix | WiFi/BT | Power Mgmt | Thermal Profiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitro | R | R | R | O | O | O | O | O |
| Predator | R | R | R | O | O | O | O | O |
| Helios | R | R | R | O | O | O | O | O |
| Triton | R | R | R | O | O | O | O | O |
| Swift | O | R | - | O | O | O | O | - |
| Aspire | O | R | O | O | O | O | O | - |
| Spin | O | R | - | O | O | O | O | - |
R = Recommended, O = Optional/Available, - = Not applicable
- Arch Linux
- CachyOS (auto-detected kernel headers)
- EndeavourOS
- Manjaro
- Garuda Linux
Archer uses a root daemon with a D-Bus system service for secure hardware control:
Archer GUI (GTK4/Adwaita) ── D-Bus (io.otectus.Archer1) ── Archer Daemon (root)
│ │ │
6 destinations polkit auth sysfs / hwmon
system tray session-cached Linuwu-Sense driver
- Daemon (
archer-daemon.service): Runs as root, communicates with hardware via sysfs/hwmon, exposes a D-Bus interface with polkit-protected methods. - D-Bus service (
io.otectus.Archer1): Read-only methods (telemetry, settings) are unprivileged. Mutating methods (fan control, profile switching, display mode) require polkit authorization, cached per session. - GUI: GTK4/Adwaita application with system tray support (close-to-tray via D-Bus StatusNotifierItem). Connects to daemon exclusively through D-Bus.
- Installer: Bash-based modular system with 13 modules, hardware detection, manifest tracking, and interactive menu.
Installs the Linuwu-Sense kernel driver via DKMS for fan speed control, RGB keyboard access, and battery management at the hardware level. Blacklists the default acer_wmi module for exclusive hardware access.
ANV16S-41 fan support is implemented through an exact driver DMI match and the existing Nitro v4 WMI protocol. It is awaiting physical validation on the issue reporter's BIOS V1.12 hardware. Archer installs a pinned upstream revision with an isolated patch series as linuwu-sense/1.0.archer2; DKMS 1.0 is migrated, matching kernel headers are required, and activation requires a reboot. See the driver package/update guide and ANV16S-41 diagnostics and safe validation procedure.
Manual speeds are not restored across daemon starts. Stopping manual control or either curve restores both fans to firmware Auto; failed writes trigger an Auto attempt. Independent native platform-profile providers are preserved.
Installs the acer-wmi-battery DKMS module to limit charging to 80%, extending battery lifespan. Persists across reboots via a udev rule. Prefers an existing standard battery charge threshold or Linuwu interface; otherwise installs a pinned upstream source with Archer DKMS packaging.
Installs EnvyControl for NVIDIA Optimus hybrid graphics management. Supports three modes:
- hybrid — Integrated GPU by default, NVIDIA on demand (recommended)
- nvidia — Always use discrete GPU
- integrated — Disable NVIDIA entirely for maximum battery life
Addresses I2C HID touchpad detection failures common on several Acer models. Applies up to three strategies:
- AMD
pinctrl_amdmodule load ordering fix - Systemd service for I2C HID module reload on boot
- GRUB kernel parameters (
i8042.reset i8042.nomux)
Installs SOF firmware and ALSA UCM configuration. Platform-specific fixes:
- AMD: Configures SOF driver, disables legacy ACP PDM conflicts
- Intel: Validates SOF firmware loading, rebuilds initramfs if needed
Chipset-aware diagnostics and fixes:
- MediaTek (MT7921/MT7922/MT7925): Firmware checks, PCIe device reset, compatibility warnings
- Intel (AX200/AX210/AX211/BE200): rfkill unblocking, firmware validation
- Realtek: Guidance for AUR out-of-tree drivers
- Common: Bluetooth service setup, NetworkManager enablement
Installs TLP with an Acer-optimized configuration:
- Performance governor on AC, powersave on battery
- WiFi power management, USB autosuspend
- Runtime PM for PCI devices (NVIDIA GPU power saving)
Reuses working native or Linuwu-Sense platform profiles. It never removes the Linuwu blacklist to load a second Acer WMI owner, and does not force Predator generation flags on Nitro. The driver module preserves an existing independent provider such as AMD PMF; available choices come from sysfs.
GTK4/Adwaita control panel with a root daemon for real-time hardware management. The daemon exposes a D-Bus service (io.otectus.Archer1) with polkit authorization for secure access. Features include:
- Overview — Live CPU/GPU, fan and battery summaries, with temperature history
- Performance — Thermal profiles, automatic/manual fan control, and Game Mode
- Battery — Charge protection, calibration, and off-state USB charging
- Display & Keyboard — Graphics configuration with persistent reboot status, panel response, zone colors and lighting effects
- Audio — Noise suppression with clear setup and audio restart feedback
- System — Device information, startup behavior, firmware checks, and Advanced driver/recovery tools
- Appearance — System theme by default, optional Light/Dark overrides, high contrast and supported system accent colors
- System tray — Right-click for Open, Profile (Eco, Quiet, Balanced, Performance, Turbo as supported), and Exit; current profile stays synchronized with the GUI. Close-to-tray and tray-host recovery are supported.
Requires GTK 4.12+ and libadwaita 1.6+. See the control center guide for navigation, shortcuts, saving behavior, and GUI verification.
Keyboard lighting is driven directly through the ENE K5130 controller where it is present, because the WMI path applies brightness but silently discards colour and effect mode. See the ENE lighting protocol notes.
For installation, upgrades, and release checks, see the deployment guide.
Note: Requires a display server (X11 or Wayland). Install the driver module first for full hardware control.
Installs GameMode for automatic performance optimization during gaming. Switches CPU governor to performance, adjusts GPU power mode, and applies I/O priority tuning. The Archer daemon also provides a Game Mode toggle for manual activation.
Sets up real-time microphone noise suppression via PipeWire and rnnoise. Creates an "Archer Noise Suppression" virtual audio source that can be selected in any application for clean, noise-free input.
Installs v4l2loopback to create an "Archer Camera" virtual device for background blur and camera effects. Provides the foundation for AI-powered camera processing.
Installs fwupd for firmware update detection. Displays current BIOS version and checks the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) for available updates. Advisory only — never performs automatic updates.
Clone the repository and run the installer:
git clone https://github.com/otectus/Archer.git
cd Archer
./install.shThe installer will:
- Detect your hardware (model, GPU, WiFi chipset, battery, kernel, distro)
- Recommend modules based on detected hardware
- Present an interactive menu for module selection (13 modules)
- Install shared dependencies and selected modules
- Verify each installation and report results
# Install all recommended modules
./install.sh --all
# Install specific modules
./install.sh --modules "driver,battery,gpu,gui"
# Skip confirmation prompts
./install.sh --all --no-confirm
# Preview without making changes
./install.sh --dry-run
# Check status of installed modules
./install.sh --verify
# Show help
./install.sh --help| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--all |
Install all recommended modules (non-interactive) |
--modules LIST |
Comma-separated list of module IDs to install |
--verify |
Check status of previously installed modules |
--no-confirm |
Skip all confirmation prompts |
--dry-run |
Show what would be done without making changes |
--verbose |
Enable debug output for troubleshooting |
--log FILE |
Write all output to FILE (in addition to console) |
--help, -h |
Show help message |
--version, -v |
Show installer version |
After installation, verify the state of installed modules:
# Linuwu-Sense Driver
dkms status # linuwu-sense should show 'installed'
lsmod | grep linuwu_sense # Module should be loaded
# Archer Daemon (D-Bus)
sudo systemctl status archer-daemon # Daemon should be active
busctl introspect io.otectus.Archer1 /io/otectus/Archer1 # D-Bus methods visible
# Archer GUI
archer-gui # Launch the control panel
# Battery (use the node provided by your device)
cat /sys/class/power_supply/BAT*/charge_control_end_threshold # 80 when native charge protection is enabled
# Driver fallbacks: Linuwu battery_limiter or acer-wmi-battery health_mode reads 1
# GPU
envycontrol --query # Should show configured mode
# TLP
sudo tlp-stat -s # Should show TLP active
# Thermal Profiles
cat /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile # Should show current profile
# Audio Enhancement
pactl list sources | grep "Archer Noise" # Virtual source should appear
# Firmware
fwupdmgr get-devices # Should list detected devicesThe Archer daemon persists user settings to /etc/archer/settings.json. This file is managed automatically and survives reboots. Settings include:
- Thermal profile selection
- Fan speed and custom curve definitions
- Keyboard RGB colors and effect modes
- Battery charge limit and USB charging level
- Game mode state
- Audio enhancement toggles
- LCD override and boot sound preferences
Settings are restored automatically when the daemon starts.
The uninstaller reads the install manifest to selectively remove only what was installed:
./uninstall.shIf no manifest is found (legacy installation), a fallback removes all known components.
Archer/
install.sh # Main entry point with interactive menu
uninstall.sh # Manifest-aware uninstaller
lib/
utils.sh # Shared logging, error handling, helpers
detect.sh # Hardware detection and recommendation engine
manifest.sh # Install state tracking (JSON manifest)
modules/
driver.sh # Linuwu-Sense kernel driver (DKMS)
battery.sh # acer-wmi-battery charge limiting
gpu.sh # EnvyControl GPU switching
touchpad.sh # I2C HID touchpad fixes
audio.sh # SOF firmware and audio config
wifi.sh # WiFi/Bluetooth troubleshooting
power.sh # TLP power management
thermal.sh # Kernel thermal profiles
gui.sh # Archer GUI + daemon + D-Bus + polkit
gamemode.sh # Game Mode (GameMode + governor switching)
audio-enhance.sh # Audio noise suppression (PipeWire/rnnoise)
camera-enhance.sh # Virtual camera (v4l2loopback)
firmware.sh # Firmware update advisor (fwupd)
gui/
archer_daemon.py # Root daemon (D-Bus, sysfs, fan curves, game mode)
archer_dbus.py # D-Bus service with polkit authorization
archer_gui.py # GTK4 application launcher
io.otectus.Archer1.conf # D-Bus system bus policy
io.otectus.Archer1.policy # Polkit action definitions
archer-daemon.service # Systemd service unit
io.github.archer.desktop # Desktop entry
archer/ # GUI modules (6 destinations, client, tray, widgets)
assets/ # Icons (SVG, PNG)
- Secure Boot: DKMS handles module signing, but its certificate must be enrolled. A rejected signing key is a module-load failure, separate from a compiler/API failure; see the diagnostic guide.
- BIOS Configuration: Some Acer laptops ship with RAID storage mode enabled. Switch to AHCI mode in BIOS for Linux compatibility. Disable Fast Startup for dual-boot setups.
- Kernel compatibility: Capability detection supports continued kernel evolution without a version allowlist. Matching headers are required for every installed kernel, including CachyOS variants. Toolchains follow each build target. After a kernel upgrade, reboot into the installed kernel before loading new modules. See kernel support, validation and DKMS troubleshooting.
- AUR Helpers: Modules that install AUR packages (GPU, audio-enhance) prefer
paruoryayif available, with manual fallback otherwise. Battery driver sources use pinned DKMS packaging. The installer never installs an AUR helper for you. - D-Bus / Polkit: The daemon registers as
io.otectus.Archer1on the system bus. Read-only methods are unprivileged. Mutating methods require polkit authorization, cached per session (auth_admin_keep). System-level operations (restart, modprobe) always prompt (auth_admin). - Install Manifest: Stored at
/var/lib/archer/install-manifest.json(root-owned, 0644). Tracks installed modules, files, DKMS modules, and packages for clean uninstallation. Manifests from older user-home locations (~/.local/share/archer/, legacy~/.local/share/damx/) are migrated automatically on the next install or uninstall run. - Fan Curve Safety: The fan curve engine includes a watchdog that restores EC automatic control if the daemon crashes or 3 consecutive control ticks fail.
-
Confirm the daemon is running:
systemctl status archer-daemon
If it's not active, start it:
sudo systemctl restart archer-daemon. -
Confirm the D-Bus name is claimable:
busctl list | grep io.otectus.Archer1 busctl introspect io.otectus.Archer1 /io/otectus/Archer1If the name isn't visible, the policy file may not be loaded. The installer reloads
dbus.serviceautomatically, but you can do it manually:sudo systemctl reload dbus.service sudo systemctl restart archer-daemon
-
Tail the daemon log for the actual failure:
sudo journalctl -u archer-daemon -n 100 --no-pager
If the GUI shows the status flipping between "Connected" and "Stale", the daemon is up but not emitting telemetry on schedule — check journalctl for TelemetryUpdated emit failed messages (often a transient sysfs/nvidia-smi hang).
Check the terminal output from archer-gui for missing dependencies or startup errors, then use the D-Bus checks above. Hardware calls run asynchronously with bounded timeouts (normally 5 seconds, longer for operations such as firmware checks). Service failures appear in connection status and control feedback. Use Exit or Quit before relaunching after an upgrade so an old tray process does not keep serving the window.
Release notes and migration guidance: CHANGELOG.md.
To add a new module, create modules/<id>.sh implementing the module interface:
MODULE_NAME="Display Name"
MODULE_ID="module-id"
MODULE_DESCRIPTION="What this module does"
module_detect() # Return 0 if relevant to current hardware
module_check_installed() # Return 0 if already installed
module_install() # Perform installation
module_uninstall() # Reverse installation
module_verify() # Return 0 if working correctlyThen add the module ID and label to the MODULE_IDS and MODULE_LABELS arrays in install.sh, and update the recommendation logic in lib/detect.sh.
Maintained for the Acer Linux Community.