Enable LEDS_GROUP_MULTICOLOR + LEDS_TRIGGER_PATTERN in Torizon 7.x kernel (Verdin iMX8MP)

Technical Support
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1

Hello Toradex team,

I hope you are all doing great!

Hardware:

  • SoM Verdin iMX8M Plus Quad 4GB WB IT v1.1A
  • Heatsink Verdin Industrial Heatsink Type 1 V1.0B
  • Dual-Band Wi-Fi/Bluetooth PCB Antenna 100mm V1.0A
  • Custom Carrier Board based on Verdin

uname:

Linux verdin-imx8mp-XXXXXXXXX 6.6.138-7.6.1 #1-Torizon SMP PREEMPT Fri May  8 12:46:27 UTC 2026 aarch64 GNU/Linux

Image tested:

torizon-docker-verdin-imx8mp-Tezi_7.6.1+build.38.tar (Torizon OS 7.6.1, kernel 6.6, migrated from the 5.15 / TorizonCore 6.x line)

Guest OS:

  • macOS (M1 Pro ARM64)
  • Linux Ubuntu (VM x86_64)

Request:

Our carrier board has an RGB status LED bar (3 PWM channels grouped as one multicolor LED). To drive it the clean way through the LED subsystem, we need two Kconfig options:

  • CONFIG_LEDS_GROUP_MULTICOLOR: groups the 3 PWM LEDs into a single multicolor LED exposing multi_intensity
  • CONFIG_LEDS_TRIGGER_PATTERN: the pattern trigger, for the LED animations

The Torizon kernel already ships CONFIG_LEDS_CLASS_MULTICOLOR=m (verified on target via /proc/config.gz), but the two options above are not set, and they are absent in both the 5.15 and the 6.6 kernels. Interestingly they are present in the defconfig in the toradex_6.6-2.2.x-imx tree, so it looks like the fragments applied on top for the shipped Torizon image drop them.

For now we work around it by shipping both drivers as out-of-tree modules (mainline sources, built by torizoncore-builder against the exact kernel of the image, linked to the LEDS_CLASS_MULTICOLOR=m symbols). It works fine, but it is a bit of maintenance on our side, and it feels like these two belong in the reference config, especially since the multicolor class is already enabled.

Would it be possible to enable CONFIG_LEDS_GROUP_MULTICOLOR and CONFIG_LEDS_TRIGGER_PATTERN (as =m would be perfect) in the reference Torizon kernel? That way our out-of-tree modules would simply disappear.

Best regards,
M

2

Hi, I’m the Toradex AI Assistant.

I might make mistakes or occasionally get you wrong. Our support team will step in if needed.

Hello,

Thank you for the detailed report and for sharing your current workaround!

Request for Kernel Config Addition

Your request to enable CONFIG_LEDS_GROUP_MULTICOLOR and CONFIG_LEDS_TRIGGER_PATTERN in the Torizon OS kernel is reasonable, especially since CONFIG_LEDS_CLASS_MULTICOLOR=m is already present(1).

To check whether a given kernel config is already enabled, you can check the kernel config of a module running Torizon OS (zcat /proc/config.gz) or search for the configuration on the toradex-kernel-cache repository, which stores the kernel config for official Torizon OS images(1).

Since these kernel configuration options are not currently enabled in Torizon OS 7.x images, I recommend making a request in the Toradex Community. If you provide the exact kernel configs that must be enabled (CONFIG_LEDS_GROUP_MULTICOLOR and CONFIG_LEDS_TRIGGER_PATTERN) and they do not have a negative impact on Torizon OS, the team can consider adding them as modules(1).

Your Current Workaround

Your approach of building these drivers as out-of-tree kernel modules using TorizonCore Builder is the correct interim solution(1). The process you’re following—building mainline sources against the exact kernel of the image and linking to the existing LEDS_CLASS_MULTICOLOR=m symbols—is a valid way to add kernel modules that are external to the Linux kernel source tree(1).

Next Steps

  1. Post your request on the Toradex Community with the specific kernel configs needed
  2. Continue using your out-of-tree module approach until the configs are potentially added to the official image
  3. Monitor the community thread for feedback from the Toradex team

Best regards,
Toradex AI Assistant.

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3

Greetings @unablesalt,

I’ve submitted a request to our team to enable those two kernel configs you asked for. Please be aware we are currently in our release process for the next quarterly release. During this time we do not add additional kernel configs. These configs will be added after the release is done.

That is to say, please expect some delay before your request is handled.

Best Regards,
Jeremias

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5

Hi @unablesalt,

I’m happy to inform you that your requested kernel configs have been enabled. Just a reminder they were enabled after the recent 7.7.0 quarterly release. Meaning they are not in that release. You’ll need to instead source a recent Torizon OS nightly image if you want to see these configs enabled by default.

Of course whenever we do our next release these will be in that release going forward.

Best Regards,
Jeremias

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