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https://github.com/acnasdev/msicontroller

MsiController — a cross-platform application and service for managing MSI laptop features (EC, fan control, backlight, etc.) on Linux. Includes a Qt6-based GUI client, systemd service, D-Bus communication, and a kernel module.
https://github.com/acnasdev/msicontroller

automation dbus device-management embedded-controller fan-control gui hardware-monitoring installer kernel-module laptop linux open-source qml qt qt6 service system-utility systemd

Last synced: 13 days ago
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MsiController — a cross-platform application and service for managing MSI laptop features (EC, fan control, backlight, etc.) on Linux. Includes a Qt6-based GUI client, systemd service, D-Bus communication, and a kernel module.

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          
[![Forgejo CI](https://forgejo.acnas.net/app/msicontroller/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg?branch=main)](https://forgejo.acnas.net/app/msicontroller/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg?branch=main)



# MSI Control Center



**MSI Control Center** is a Linux control panel for supported MSI laptops. It combines a Qt 6 desktop client, a system D-Bus service, a helper library, and an EC kernel module for monitoring thermals and controlling laptop-specific features.



The packaged build is designed for daily use: the application is installed into `/opt/msicontroller`, Qt runtime files are bundled privately, and the kernel module is managed through DKMS so it is rebuilt when the kernel changes.



## Features



- Dashboard with CPU/GPU temperatures, fan speed, battery state, and live GPU-rendered mini charts.

- Built-in and user-editable supported-device profiles in JSON format.

- Developer mode gate for advanced configuration and EC memory tools.

- Cooling modes: firmware auto, manual fan curve, target temperature, and Cooler Boost.

- Service-managed target temperature mode for CPU/GPU fan adjustment.

- Editable CPU and GPU fan curves with temperature-to-speed maps.

- CPU performance view for per-core frequency, usage, and frequency limits.

- CPU controls for frequency limit and governor selection.

- Optional NVIDIA/AMD GPU controls for power limit, persistence mode, or AMD performance level when the driver exposes them.

- Shift mode switching where firmware supports it: Eco, Comfort, Sport, Turbo.

- Device controls for webcam, USB Power Share, FN/Meta swap, Super Battery, mute state, LEDs, keyboard backlight, and battery charge threshold where available.

- EC memory debugger for service-mediated hex byte and bit edits.

- Multiple UI themes, desktop entry, autostart entry, and system tray integration.

- System service over D-Bus with systemd integration.

- DEB/RPM packaging with DKMS-managed kernel module installation.

- Forgejo CI package artifacts, release uploads, and apt/dnf package registry publishing.



Feature availability depends on the detected firmware configuration in `src/service/supported-devices.json` plus optional user profiles stored by the service in `/etc/MsiController/supported-devices.json`.



## Screenshots



**Dashboard and cooling controls**



![Dashboard and cooling controls](screenshot/Screenshot_20260601_081953.png)



**CPU performance and device controls**



![CPU performance and device controls](screenshot/Screenshot_20260601_082011.png)



**Supported device profiles**



![Supported device profiles](screenshot/Screenshot_20260601_082024.png)



**EC memory debugger**



![EC memory debugger](screenshot/Screenshot_20260601_082031.png)



## Architecture



- `src/client` - Qt/QML desktop client (`MsiControlCenterClient`).

- `src/service` - privileged system service (`MsiControlCenterService`) exposing device state and commands over D-Bus.

- `src/helper` - shared D-Bus/helper library used by the client and service.

- `src/module` - EC kernel module and DKMS source files.

- `cmake/packaging` - DEB/RPM, DKMS, Docker, and Qt runtime bundling helpers.

- `scripts` - package build and package install test entry points.



The client does not talk to EC hardware directly. It talks to the service, and the service owns hardware access, CPU control readback, fan target control, and state synchronization.



## Installation



### DEB



```sh

sudo apt install ./packages/msicontroller_amd64.deb

```



### RPM



```sh

sudo dnf install ./packages/msicontroller_x86_64.rpm

```



or:



```sh

sudo rpm -Uvh ./packages/msicontroller_x86_64.rpm

```



The install host needs DKMS, `kmod`, systemd, and kernel headers for the running kernel. The package installs application files into `/opt/msicontroller` and system integration files into standard locations:



- systemd service: `/lib/systemd/system/msi-ec-service.service`

- D-Bus policy: `/etc/dbus-1/system.d/msi-ec-service.conf`

- DKMS source: `/usr/src/msiecmodule-`

- modules-load config: `/etc/modules-load.d/msiecmodule.conf`

- desktop/autostart entries: `/usr/share/applications` and `/etc/xdg/autostart`



Release packages also connect the Forgejo package repository during installation. After installing a downloaded `.deb` or `.rpm`, future tagged releases can be installed by the normal system updater:



```sh

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

```



or:



```sh

sudo dnf upgrade

```



Repository files are installed as:



- apt source: `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/msicontroller-forgejo.list`

- apt key: `/etc/apt/keyrings/msicontroller-forgejo.asc`

- dnf/yum repo: `/etc/yum.repos.d/msicontroller-forgejo.repo`



After installation:



```sh

systemctl status msi-ec-service

/opt/msicontroller/bin/msicontroller-client

```



The desktop launcher is named **MSI Control Center**.



## Building Packages



The recommended packaging path is Docker. It builds inside Ubuntu 22.04 with Qt 6.11.1 from `aqtinstall`, bundles the Qt runtime, and writes stable artifact names into `packages/`.



```sh

./scripts/build-packages-docker.sh

```



Generated files:



- `packages/msicontroller_amd64.deb`

- `packages/msicontroller_x86_64.rpm`



The filenames stay stable, but package release metadata is unique so upgrades work normally. The script keeps the `packages/` directory in place and atomically replaces package files, which avoids breaking terminals opened inside that directory.



If your build environment needs a proxy:



```sh

export MSICONTROLLER_HTTP_PROXY="http://user:password@proxy.example:3128"

./scripts/build-packages-docker.sh

```



To build packages without Docker, install Qt 6.11.1 locally and run:



```sh

export MSICONTROLLER_QT_VERSION=6.11.1

export MSICONTROLLER_QT_HOST_DIR=/opt/Qt/6.11.1/gcc_64

./scripts/build-packages.sh

```



## Testing Packages



Package install smoke tests run the generated DEB/RPM in clean containers and check dependency resolution, installed file layout, desktop/autostart entries, D-Bus/systemd files, DKMS source placement, and unresolved shared libraries.



```sh

./scripts/test-packages-docker.sh

```



The test matrix covers Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 26.04, Debian 12, and Fedora. DKMS build/load is skipped only inside these container tests with `MSICONTROLLER_SKIP_DKMS=1`; normal user installation still builds and installs the module.



## Forgejo CI



Forgejo builds the project on pushes to `main`, has a dedicated package job, and runs package install smoke tests against the generated artifacts. Download ready-to-install packages from the workflow artifact named `msicontroller-packages`.



When a tag matching `v*` is pushed, packages are published only after the install smoke tests pass. The release job creates or updates the matching Forgejo Release and uploads:



- `msicontroller_amd64.deb`

- `msicontroller_x86_64.rpm`



The same files are uploaded to the Forgejo Package Registry as an apt/dnf repository:



- Debian registry: `https://forgejo.acnas.net/api/packages/app/debian`, distribution `stable`, component `main`

- RPM registry: `https://forgejo.acnas.net/api/packages/app/rpm`



If the `GITHUBTOKEN` secret is configured, the same tag is pushed to GitHub and the same package files are uploaded to the matching GitHub Release.



Application, package, and DKMS versions are derived from the Git tag. For example, tag `v1.2.3` produces application version `1.2.3`, package version `1.2.3`, and DKMS module version `1.2.3`.



The CI package job supports the same proxy variable:



```sh

MSICONTROLLER_HTTP_PROXY

```



## Building From Source



Install development dependencies on Debian/Ubuntu:



```sh

sudo apt install build-essential cmake ninja-build pkg-config git \

  qt6-base-dev qt6-declarative-dev qt6-tools-dev qt6-tools-dev-tools \

  qt6-charts-dev qt6-qmltooling-plugins \

  libdbus-1-dev libsystemd-dev \

  linux-headers-$(uname -r)

```



Build:



```sh

cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja

cmake --build build

```



Install from the source build:



```sh

sudo cmake --install build

```



Uninstall a source install:



```sh

sudo cmake --build build --target uninstall

```



For package-style builds, the module is not compiled during CMake build; DKMS compiles it during package installation and on kernel updates:



```sh

cmake -S . -B build-package -G Ninja \

  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \

  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/msicontroller \

  -DMSICONTROLLER_BUNDLE_QT_RUNTIME=ON \

  -DMSICONTROLLER_BUILD_KERNEL_MODULE=OFF \

  -DMSICONTROLLER_INSTALL_DKMS=ON

```



## Runtime Commands



```sh

systemctl status msi-ec-service

journalctl -u msi-ec-service -f

/opt/msicontroller/bin/msicontroller-client

```



For a non-packaged source install, the client binary is usually available as:



```sh

MsiControlCenterClient

```



## Supported Laptops



The current firmware configuration database contains 56 built-in MSI firmware profiles (`CONF0` through `CONF55`). Feature availability is firmware-specific; the table below is based on `src/service/supported-devices.json`.



| Config  | Firmware(s) | Fan | Shift | Keyboard Backlight | Super Battery | Mic Mute |

|---------|-------------|-----|-------|--------------------|---------------|----------|

| CONF0   | 14C1EMS1.012, 14C1EMS1.101, 14C1EMS1.102 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF1   | 17F2EMS1.103, 17F2EMS1.104, 17F2EMS1.106, 17F2EMS1.107 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF2   | 1552EMS1.115, 1552EMS1.118, 1552EMS1.119, 1552EMS1.120 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF3   | 1592EMS1.111 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF4   | 16V4EMS1.114, 16V4EMS1.115 | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |  |

| CONF5   | 158LEMS1.103, 158LEMS1.105, 158LEMS1.106 | ✔ | ✔ |  |  | ✔ |

| CONF6   | 1542EMS1.102, 1542EMS1.104 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |  |

| CONF7   | 17FKEMS1.108, 17FKEMS1.109, 17FKEMS1.10A | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |

| CONF8   | 14F1EMS1.114, 14F1EMS1.115, 14F1EMS1.116, 14F1EMS1.117, 14F1EMS1.118, 14F1EMS1.119, 14F1EMS1.120 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |

| CONF9   | 14JKEMS1.104, 14JKEMS1.300 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF10  | 1582EMS1.107 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF11  | 16S6EMS1.111 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF12  | 16R6EMS1.104, 16R6EMS1.106, 16R6EMS1.107 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |

| CONF13  | 1594EMS1.109 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF14  | 17L2EMS1.108 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF15  | 15CKEMS1.108 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF16  | 155LEMS1.105, 155LEMS1.106 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF17  | 15K1IMS1.110, 15K1IMS1.111, 15K1IMS1.112, 15K1IMS1.113 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF18  | 15HKEMS1.104 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF19  | 1543EMS1.113, 17K3EMS1.115 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |  |

| CONF20  | 1581EMS1.107 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF21  | 16R3EMS1.100, 16R3EMS1.102, 16R3EMS1.104, 16R4EMS2.102 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |

| CONF22  | 17LLEMS1.106 | ✔ | ✔ |  |  | ✔ |

| CONF23  | 16WKEMS1.105 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |

| CONF24  | 14D1EMS1.103 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF25  | 14F1EMS1.207, 14F1EMS1.209, 14F1EMS1.211 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF26  | 14DLEMS1.105 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF27  | 17S2IMS1.113 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF28  | 1822EMS1.105, 1822EMS1.109, 1822EMS1.111, 1822EMS1.112, 1822EMS1.114, 1822EMS1.115 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF29  | 16V5EMS1.107 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |  |

| CONF30  | 17Q2IMS1.107, 17Q2IMS1.10D | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |

| CONF31  | 16Q4EMS1.110 | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |  |

| CONF32  | 158PIMS1.207, 158PIMS1.112, 158PIMS1.114 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF33  | 17N1EMS1.109 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF34  | 14C6EMS1.109 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF35  | 15M2IMS1.113 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF36  | 1585EMS1.112, 1585EMS1.115 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF37  | 15M1IMS1.113 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF38  | 17E8IMS1.106, 17E8EMS1.101 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |

| CONF39  | 16R8IMS1.108, 16R8IMS1.111, 16R8IMS1.117 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |

| CONF40  | 17S1IMS1.105 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF41  | 15M1IMS2.111 | ✔ | ✔ |  |  | ✔ |

| CONF42  | 14L1EMS1.307, 14L1EMS1.308 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF43  | 14DKEMS1.104, 14DKEMS1.105 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF44  | 17LNIMS1.505 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF45  | 1545IMS1.109 | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |  |

| CONF46  | 16W1EMS1.102, 16W1EMS1.103, 16W1EMS1.104, 16W1EMS2.103, 16W2EMS1.101 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |

| CONF47  | 17KKIMS1.108, 17KKIMS1.109, 17KKIMS1.114 | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |  |

| CONF48  | 158NIMS1.10D, 158NIMS1.30C | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF49  | 16R4EMS1.101, 16R4EMS1.102, 16R5EMS1.102 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |

| CONF50  | 1584EMS1.112 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |

| CONF51  | 158MEMS1.101, 158KEMS1.104, 158KEMS1.106, 158KEMS1.109 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF52  | 16V1EMS1.109, 16V1EMS1.116, 16V1EMS1.118, 16V3EMS1.106 | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |  |

| CONF53  | 159KIMS1.108 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  | ✔ |

| CONF54  | 16R8IMS2.112 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |  |

| CONF55  | 17G1EMS1.107 | ✔ | ✔ |  |  |  |



Built-in profiles are shipped in `src/service/supported-devices.json`. User profiles and overrides are written by the service to `/etc/MsiController/supported-devices.json` and can be managed from the client via **Supported devices** in the left panel. Saved profile changes are applied live: the service rebuilds the active EC parameter set and the client refreshes without restarting the service.



### Regenerating Device Profiles



The built-in JSON database can be regenerated manually from the C configurations in [BeardOverflow/msi-ec](https://github.com/BeardOverflow/msi-ec):



```sh

scripts/generate-supported-devices-from-msi-ec.py --dry-run > /tmp/supported-devices.json

scripts/generate-supported-devices-from-msi-ec.py --output src/service/supported-devices.json

```



To use an already cloned upstream repository:



```sh

scripts/generate-supported-devices-from-msi-ec.py --source-dir /path/to/msi-ec --output src/service/supported-devices.json

```



The script is not part of the application runtime. It parses upstream `msi-ec.c` / `ec_memory_configuration.h`, keeps MsiController-only defaults for battery status and USB power share, and writes explicit EC addresses into every generated profile so unsupported upstream fields do not fall back to stale defaults.



## Contact / Support



- Email: mikhail@acnas.net  

- Telegram: [@AcNasRu](https://t.me/AcNasRu)

- LinkedIn: [Mikhail Bulatov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikhail-bulatov-13277a253/)



## Acknowledgements



Special thanks to [BeardOverflow/msi-ec](https://github.com/BeardOverflow/msi-ec) for inspiration.



## License



This project is licensed under the MIT License.



**Note:** This project uses the Qt framework, which is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) version 3.  

See [https://www.qt.io/licensing](https://www.qt.io/licensing) and the `LICENSE.LGPL3` file for details.



```

MIT License



Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy

of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal

in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights

to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell

copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is

furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:



The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all

copies or substantial portions of the Software.



THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR

IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,

FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE

AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER

LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,

OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE

SOFTWARE.

```