linux-drivers/
drivers/usb/typec

USB Type-C and Power Delivery port controllers, muxes, and retimers

The Linux subsystem handling USB Type-C connectors and USB Power Delivery on modern PCs, laptops, phones, and embedded boards. It covers port controllers from vendors like TI, ST, and ON Semi, the UCSI interface that laptop firmware uses to expose Type-C state to the OS, and the muxes and retimers that route DisplayPort and Thunderbolt alternate modes over the connector.

keep conf=0.95 deploy=high replacement=none subsystem=usb category=bus-usb
95%

recommendation

It should stay because Type-C and USB-PD are now standard on essentially all new laptops, phones, and tablets sold in 2025, and this directory is the Linux side of that hardware. Upstream activity is healthy, with recent commits across UCSI, Thunderbolt alternate mode, and individual chip drivers, and vendors like TI and ST are still shipping new controllers that depend on this code. There is no removal or deprecation signal anywhere in the tree.

repository signals

81 files
42,231 source lines
749 commits, 5y
+25,725 / −6,035 lines added / removed, 5y
172 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 749 total · active in 61/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 1 commit · +3 −3 2021-05: 22 commits · +290 −101 2021-06: 20 commits · +149 −42 2021-07: 4 commits · +26 −7 2021-08: 7 commits · +154 −94 2021-09: 20 commits · +398 −237 2021-10: 2 commits · +10 −2 2021-11: 5 commits · +36 −25 2021-12: 4 commits · +64 −256 2022-01: 6 commits · +41 −3 2022-02: 6 commits · +1,477 −27 2022-03: 2 commits · +31 −22 2022-04: 10 commits · +553 −176 2022-05: 9 commits · +1,083 −14 2022-06: 2 commits · +6 −3 2022-07: 17 commits · +2,650 −250 2022-08: 15 commits · +413 −110 2022-09: 10 commits · +28 −33 2022-10: 5 commits · +63 −34 2022-11: 18 commits · +70 −40 2022-12: 4 commits · +46 −3 2023-01: 22 commits · +1,066 −87 2023-02: 5 commits · +36 −9 2023-03: 15 commits · +436 −52 2023-04: 4 commits · +50 −8 2023-05: 18 commits · +1,888 −375 2023-06: 14 commits · +696 −54 2023-07: 11 commits · +148 −130 2023-08: 10 commits · +221 −13 2023-09: 12 commits · +70 −27 2023-10: 22 commits · +1,445 −100 2023-11: 8 commits · +75 −9 2023-12: 16 commits · +1,270 −202 2024-01: 27 commits · +2,327 −719 2024-02: 14 commits · +168 −47 2024-03: 34 commits · +556 −297 2024-04: 24 commits · +170 −91 2024-05: 14 commits · +147 −64 2024-06: 27 commits · +852 −527 2024-07: 22 commits · +209 −156 2024-08: 20 commits · +174 −272 2024-09: 10 commits · +66 −56 2024-10: 18 commits · +539 −57 2024-11: 10 commits · +311 −230 2024-12: 20 commits · +1,079 −78 2025-01: 14 commits · +134 −126 2025-02: 14 commits · +587 −64 2025-03: 6 commits · +567 −18 2025-04: 17 commits · +156 −34 2025-05: 7 commits · +107 −36 2025-06: 14 commits · +231 −48 2025-07: 8 commits · +48 −23 2025-08: 9 commits · +146 −16 2025-09: 16 commits · +614 −62 2025-10: 19 commits · +508 −151 2025-11: 6 commits · +82 −4 2025-12: 13 commits · +177 −213 2026-01: 9 commits · +446 −20 2026-02: 5 commits · +294 −47 2026-03: 5 commits · +36 −30 2026-04: 1 commit · +2 −1

sources

  1. git.kernel.org

    The directory remains under active upstream development; local git history shows multiple functional commits in 2026 and no matching deprecation/removal-log hits for the directory.

  2. docs.kernel.org

    This is the kernel's USB Type-C connector class and port-driver API, intended for platform Type-C/PD port drivers, UCSI drivers, and Thunderbolt-related integrations.

  3. cateee.net

    CONFIG_TYPEC and many concrete devices under drivers/usb/typec remain present through current kernel series, including 7.0-rc+HEAD, indicating ongoing enablement rather than retirement.

  4. st.com

    A Type-C controller family represented in this directory was still sold in vendor channels in 2025, even if marked NRND rather than discontinued.

  5. ti.com

    Vendors still published active product pages for supported Type-C/PD controllers in this driver area, showing the hardware class remains current enough for ongoing deployments and support transitions.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Keep: this is an actively maintained subsystem directory, not a stranded legacy driver. Local shell inspection showed core Type-C class code plus many chip-specific drivers (tcpm, mux, tipd, ucsi, altmodes). Local `git -c safe.directory=... log` showed substantive 2026 commits (for example UCSI, Thunderbolt altmode, hd3ss3220, fusb302) and a grep for remove/deprecat/obsolete/orphan in the directory log returned no hits, so there is no visible upstream removal signal. Source acquisition: kernel.org log URL is canonical recall to the public equivalent of the locally verified git history; docs.kernel.org, LKDDb, ST, and TI URLs were obtained via web search.