ASUS
ExpertBook B9406CAA
Eight independently attributable owners show a very light Panther Lake laptop whose basic Linux path is real, but whose display, audio and input support still depends on model-specific fixes.
Bottom line
Omarchy runs on the B9406CAA. Version 4.0.2 includes the live-installer, installed-display and touchpad work prompted by the first owner report, plus exact-model fingerprint and USB-C power-profile changes. The exact-machine support project now has a persistent audio backport for kernels that lack the upstream SoundWire quirk, but Omarchy's proposed delivery path remains unmerged. The display is also not settled: brightness has a repeatable fix, while current Panel Replay results still conflict across exact machines and Linux builds.
An existing owner has a workable route, but should verify the internal display, brightness, touchpad and audio before relying on the laptop. On Omarchy 4.0.2, Dummy Output still requires a separate kernel-level fix; the exact-machine support project packages one that survives kernel updates, while the native Omarchy path remains open. The fingerprint reader now works with stock libfprint 1.94.100. Apply only a fix that matches the observed symptom. A shopper should treat this as high-effort Linux hardware despite its excellent portability, panel and integrated-graphics capacity.
What is reported
12 findings with cited evidenceInstall and boot
The first owner completed an Omarchy 3.6 installation by switching virtual terminals whenever the live display stopped redrawing, then confirmed that disabling Panel Replay restored a normally updating accelerated desktop. Omarchy later added a live-image safeguard and an exact-model installed-system rule.
Installation is demonstrated and the original owner verified the underlying workaround. The current code contains both delivery paths, but no owner has yet reported a clean end-to-end Omarchy 4.0.2 installation on this laptop.
Desktop and graphics
After the original Panel Replay stall was bypassed, the Xe graphics driver, accelerated Hyprland session and internal panel worked in the direct Omarchy report.
That establishes a working accelerated desktop, not trouble-free HDR or self-refresh behavior.
Working reportsSourceInternal display and brightness
Omarchy 3.6 stalled after one frame, and Arch and Fedora owners found that the brightness slider did not change the panel. A DPCD backlight override restored brightness. Panel Replay remains inconsistent: openSUSE still needed disables on Linux 7.2, while a separate Linux 7.2.2 test found that disabling Panel Replay alone caused PSR2 corruption and that PSR1 was the usable mode.
Brightness has the clearest fix. Display self-refresh and HDR still need an exact-machine check; Omarchy 4.0.2's Panel Replay rule is not proof that every panel state is stable.
Keyboard, hotkeys and backlight
Exact-machine tests say keyboard-backlight writes and Fn-key changes work, but the firmware read path always returns zero. The support project withdrew its earlier write-path diagnosis and added optional ambient-light control. Three owners separately found that the speaker-mute LED stays lit regardless of the actual mute state.
Manual lighting works, but software cannot query its true level and the keyboard can return dark after boot. The optional ambient-light service is project support, not an Omarchy feature. The speaker-mute indicator remains misleading; the microphone-mute indicator worked in the Pop!_OS report.
Touchpad and pointing
Omarchy, Fedora and Pop!_OS owners had clicks but no pointer motion because libinput rejected the touchpad's pressure data. Masking the pressure axes restored motion, clicks, scrolling and taps. An openSUSE owner later reported normal pointing after setup.
Omarchy 4.0.2 applies the exact-device quirk automatically. The quirk gives up pressure-based palm rejection, and there is no later Omarchy owner confirmation.
Fingerprint and biometrics
An openSUSE owner first enrolled and used the fingerprint reader with a patched libfprint build. The original Omarchy owner separately verified enrollment, matching, rejection, suspend recovery and login integration. The support maintainer later detected the reader and read an existing enrollment with stock libfprint 1.94.100.
The reader has a current upstream-package path; a custom libfprint build should no longer be necessary on distributions shipping 1.94.100 or later.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
The Fedora diagnostic showed the Intel wireless interface up. The exact-machine support maintainer reports unstable Wi-Fi 7 behavior and obtains a stable Wi-Fi 6 connection by disabling 802.11be mode.
Basic wireless is present, but the retained evidence does not establish reliable Wi-Fi 7. The stable reported setup deliberately falls back to Wi-Fi 6.
Speakers, microphone and audio
Internal audio worked on Linux 7.0 for Chimera and Fedora owners, but Linux 7.1 exposed a phantom RT722 SoundWire device and could leave no ALSA card. The correct B9406-specific quirk landed upstream, and the exact-machine support project now applies an adaptive DKMS backport only to installed kernels that lack it. Separate owners still report boot-muted tweeters and a speaker-mute LED that never changes.
The support project reports its DKMS overlay installed for three kernels, then verifies a working card, calibrated speaker path and microphones on its running Linux 7.2 system. Omarchy 4.0.2 does not ship that path, and its own two delivery pull requests remain open. Verify headphones separately rather than treating card registration as the final result.
Camera
Fedora detected the Shinetech camera through uvcvideo. A separate exact-machine support test produced a frame after the current camera firmware was recognized.
That supports ordinary camera output. It does not establish IR face login or video-call quality under Omarchy.
Suspend and resume
The openSUSE owner reported at least five successful sleep-then-hibernate cycles. The support maintainer separately completed two s2idle cycles with audio, storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth returning.
Suspend has positive exact-machine evidence on two current Linux stacks, but not from an Omarchy 4.0.2 owner.
External displays and docks
The factory configuration has two Thunderbolt 4 ports with display output and HDMI 2.1 TMDS. The Fedora owner reported that Thunderbolt audio did not work, but no retained exact-model Linux report evaluates a monitor, dock or complete display path.
Port presence is not a compatibility result. Treat USB-C monitors, docks, power delivery, HDMI video and external audio as separate tests.
Battery, power and thermals
One openSUSE owner observed 7–10 watts with Chrome open at 10% brightness and estimated six to seven hours of browser use. The support project reports roughly 2–2.5 watts after adding thermald and intel-lpmd, but provides no controlled endurance test. A Windows review measured 16.1 hours in its Wi-Fi test.
Idle draw, browser use and full-run battery life are different measurements. The Linux endurance figure remains an estimate, the support-project figure is an idle configuration result and the Windows result shows hardware capacity rather than expected Omarchy runtime.
Changes over time
12 dated events- First Omarchy owner documents installer, display and touchpad failures
The owner completed an Omarchy 3.6 installation and confirmed local workarounds for the frozen display and motionless touchpad.
- Exact fingerprint support merges
The model's FT9349 reader passed enrollment, verification, rejection, suspend and login checks before its Omarchy change merged.
- USB-C power-profile switching merges
A revised Omarchy rule correctly changed profiles when this laptop moved between AC and battery power.
- Linux 7.1 exposes a phantom SoundWire device
A Chimera owner lost the internal sound card after Linux changed topology discovery and then confirmed the B9406-specific ghost-device quirk.
- Corrected audio quirk lands upstream
Linux accepted the exact DMI quirk for the absent RT722. It is scheduled for Linux 7.3 and still needs a backport on affected 7.1 and 7.2 kernels.
- Fedora owner reproduces brightness, audio and touchpad failures
The touchpad quirk and DPCD brightness setting worked; the installed system's internal audio remained absent.
- Pop!_OS owner isolates the stuck mute LED
Audio worked after the owner's component fixes, but the F1 speaker-mute light stayed on while the separate microphone indicator tracked its real state.
- Support project packages the audio backport
The exact-machine project added an adaptive DKMS overlay for kernels missing the upstream ghost-RT722 quirk, installed it for three kernels and verified the card, speaker path and microphones on the running Linux 7.2 system.
- Stock libfprint recognizes the reader
The support maintainer replaced the earlier custom build with libfprint 1.94.100 and verified detection and an existing enrollment on the exact machine.
- Exact-model workarounds appear in Omarchy 4.0.2
The tagged release contains the installed display and touchpad hooks; the live ISO change had already merged. No later owner report confirms the complete 4.0.2 path.
- A new exact-machine display test favors PSR1
An open support-project change reports HDR desaturation with default Panel Replay and corruption with Omarchy's Panel Replay-only disable on Linux 7.2.2. Its tested PSR1 configuration is not yet a released fix.
- Keyboard-backlight diagnosis is corrected
Exact-machine testing showed that brightness writes already work and the broken path is firmware readback. The support project retired its earlier write workaround and added optional ambient-light control.