Linux 7.2-rc4 finally fixes audio issues with the Asus ROG Ally X

Published Jul 20, 2026, 2:37 AM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary Linux 7.2-rc4 follows the "new normal", with AI agents finding, reporting, and fixing far more bugs. Linux 7.2-rc4 fixes Asus ROG Ally X headphone output and headset mic via ALSA/Realtek patches You can grab Linux 7.2-rc4 right now, or wait until it's released on the stable channels. With Linux 7.2's release coming in about a month, people have been hard at work testing it and fixing issues. As it turns out, the Asus ROG Ally X is experiencing some weird audio issues with headphones and microphones. Fortunately, someone has uploaded fixes to the fourth release candidate, so it shouldn't be long until it's fixed for good. Linux 7.2-rc4 gets the Asus ROG Ally X's audio problems sorted You can grab it right now if you're feeling brave As is the norm with Linux release candidates, Linux Torvalds has posted the changelog for Linux 7.2's fourth release candidate. We usually see around seven release candidates before the final build is released, but this can extend to more candidates if Torvalds isn't confident enough to give it the green light. As Torvalds notes, Linux 7.2-rc4 is "pretty normal." The reason for the quotation marks is due to something Torvalds refers to as "the new normal," where AI agents find, report, and fix far more bugs than what release candidates usually experienced in the past. The message details all the new tweaks and additions made in this release candidate, but of particular interest to Asus ROG Ally X owners is this nugget: Matthew Schwartz (2): ALSA: hda/realtek: Fix headphone output on ASUS ROG Ally X ALSA: hda/realtek: Fix headset mic on ASUS ROG Ally X If you run Linux on your Asus ROG Ally X and you've encountered oddities with either of these, you have two options. If your distro supports using the latest release candidate, you can swap to that channel and get the fixes right away, although you will be using a potentially unstable build. If you'd rather wait, Linux 7.2 should release in about a month's time, assuming no show-stopping bugs cause a delay.