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KVantage is designed specifically for Lenovo laptops running Linux. This page details all requirements and limitations you should be aware of before installation.

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Hardware Requirements

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Lenovo Laptop (Required)

KVantage only works on Lenovo laptops. The application relies on Lenovo-specific ACPI interfaces that are not present on other manufacturers’ hardware.
KVantage requires:
  • Lenovo-branded laptop with ACPI interface support
  • ACPI table that exposes battery and performance controls via the acpi_call interface
  • Access to /proc/acpi/call for reading and writing ACPI values
Most modern Lenovo laptops (ThinkPad, IdeaPad, Legion series) are compatible. Very old models or those with non-standard ACPI implementations may not work.

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Why Lenovo Only?

The application sends Lenovo-specific ACPI commands to control:
  • Performance profiles (Power Saving, Intelligent Cooling, Performance)
  • Battery charge thresholds (conservation mode)
  • Rapid charge settings
These commands are specific to Lenovo’s ACPI implementation. Running KVantage on non-Lenovo hardware may cause undefined behavior or system instability.
Do NOT run KVantage on non-Lenovo laptops. The backend assumes a known/defined ACPI table structure. Using it on other hardware could send incorrect ACPI commands.

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Software Requirements

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Operating System

KVantage is designed for Linux operating systems. It has been tested on:
  • Ubuntu and Debian-based distributions
  • Fedora and Red Hat-based distributions
  • Arch Linux and derivatives
  • openSUSE
  • NixOS
  • Other major Linux distributions
Not supported:
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • BSD systems

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Java Runtime Environment

KVantage is built with Kotlin and Compose Multiplatform for Desktop, which requires a Java Runtime Environment.
Requirements:
  • Java 11 or later (recommended: Java 17 or newer)
  • OpenJDK or Oracle JRE
Verify your Java version: 
java -version
Expected output: 
openjdk version "17.0.x" 2023-xx-xx
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build ...)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build ...)

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acpi_call Kernel Module

The acpi_call kernel module is required for KVantage to function. Without it, the backend service will fail to start.

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What is acpi_call?

The acpi_call module provides a userspace interface to make arbitrary ACPI calls via /proc/acpi/call. KVantage uses this to:
  • Read current performance profile
  • Set performance profiles
  • Enable/disable battery conservation mode
  • Control rapid charging

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Installing acpi_call

Install the module using your distribution’s package manager: 
sudo apt update
sudo apt install acpi-call-dkms

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Loading the module

Load the module manually: 
sudo modprobe acpi_call
Verify it’s loaded: 
lsmod | grep acpi_call
Expected output: 
acpi_call              16384  0

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Auto-load on boot

To load acpi_call automatically at boot, add it to your modules configuration: 
echo "acpi_call" | sudo tee /etc/modules-load.d/acpi_call.conf

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Verify /proc/acpi/call exists

Check that the ACPI interface is available: 
ls -l /proc/acpi/call
Expected output: 
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Jan 1 12:00 /proc/acpi/call
If this file doesn’t exist, the acpi_call module is not loaded correctly.

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Permission Requirements

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Root Access for Backend Service

KVantage requires root access to interact with /proc/acpi/call. This is a fundamental limitation that cannot be bypassed.

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How root access works:

  1. The GUI frontend runs as your regular user (no elevated privileges)
  2. The backend daemon (kvand) requires root to access /proc/acpi/call
  3. You are prompted once per session to authenticate
  4. The backend runs with root privileges only for ACPI operations

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Why root is needed:

The /proc/acpi/call interface requires root permissions to:
  • Read ACPI values (current settings)
  • Write ACPI values (change settings)
This is a kernel-level interface that cannot be accessed by regular users for security reasons.

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Security considerations:

  • The GUI never runs as root (enforced by safety checks)
  • Only the minimal backend service uses elevated privileges
  • Root access is isolated to ACPI operations only
  • Authentication uses system-standard methods (polkit, pkexec, sudo)
Never run the KVantage GUI with sudo. The application will detect this and immediately exit with an error. This is a safety feature to prevent running the entire GUI with unnecessary privileges.

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Authentication methods:

KVantage uses your system’s standard authentication mechanism:
  • Polkit (recommended) - GUI dialog prompt
  • pkexec - Alternative GUI prompt
  • sudo - Terminal password prompt
The method depends on your desktop environment and system configuration.

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Desktop Environment

KVantage is desktop-environment agnostic and works on:
  • GNOME
  • KDE Plasma
  • XFCE
  • Cinnamon
  • MATE
  • LXQt
  • Hyprland (Wayland)
  • i3, bspwm, and other window managers
Display server compatibility:
  • X11 - Fully supported
  • Wayland - Fully supported
For Wayland compositors, ensure you have a polkit authentication agent running for the password prompt to appear.

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Known Limitations

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1. Lenovo Laptops Only

System compatibility is limited to Lenovo laptops that expose the ACPI interface using the acpi_call kernel module (/proc/acpi/call).
  • Other manufacturers use different ACPI implementations
  • Running on non-Lenovo hardware may cause undefined behavior
  • No support planned for other brands

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2. Root Access Requirement

The app needs root access to perform ACPI read and writes at /proc/acpi/call.
  • This limitation cannot be bypassed
  • It has been minimized by:
    • Asking for password once per session
    • Isolating root access to only the backend server
    • Never running the GUI with elevated privileges

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3. Battery Threshold Customization

The battery conservation threshold is hardcoded to 80%.
  • Custom thresholds (e.g., 60%, 90%) are not currently supported
  • This is a hardware limitation on most Lenovo laptops
  • Custom thresholds are a premium feature only available on certain high-end models
  • May be implemented in the future if there is user demand
If your laptop supports custom thresholds, please open an issue on GitHub. Testing is needed from users with compatible hardware.

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4. Tray Icon Support

Tray icon support is not currently implemented.
  • Compose Multiplatform’s built-in tray support has poor Linux compatibility
  • May be implemented in the future as the framework evolves
  • The application must remain open in a window

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Minimum System Resources

KVantage is lightweight and has minimal resource requirements:
  • RAM: ~100-200 MB
  • Disk Space: ~50 MB (JAR file + backend binary)
  • CPU: Any modern x86_64 processor

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Verifying Compatibility

Before installing KVantage, verify your system meets the requirements:
1

Check if you have a Lenovo laptop

sudo dmidecode -s system-manufacturer
Should output: LENOVO or Lenovo
2

Verify Java is installed

java -version
Should show Java 11 or later.
3

Check for acpi_call module

modinfo acpi_call
If not found, install it using your package manager.
4

Load acpi_call and verify /proc/acpi/call

sudo modprobe acpi_call
ls -l /proc/acpi/call
The file should exist and be owned by root.
5

Ensure you're not running as root

echo $USER
Should not be root.
If all checks pass, your system is compatible with KVantage.

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Getting Help

If you’re unsure about compatibility or encounter issues:

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Disclaimer

This software needs root privileges to run, and thus, expect undefined behavior if you run Lenovo-specific ACPI commands on a non-targeted ACPI table. Use at your own risk.
KVantage is a personal learning project and is not affiliated with Lenovo or any other brand or product.

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