Script to Identify Unused linux-firmware-* Packages on Arch Linux (Use at your own risk)

check-unused-firmware.sh

#!/usr/bin/env bash
#set -x

# Help text for each firmware package
declare -A FW_HELP=(
  [linux-firmware-radeon]="Firmware for ATI Radeon GPUs"
  [linux-firmware-amdgpu]="Firmware for AMD Radeon GPUs"
  [linux-firmware-intel]="Firmware for Intel graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth"
  [linux-firmware-nvidia]="Firmware for NVIDIA GPUs"
  [linux-firmware-broadcom]="Firmware for Broadcom and Cypress network adapters"
  [linux-firmware-atheros]="Firmware for Atheros WiFi and Bluetooth asapters"
  [linux-firmware-realtek]="Firmware for Realtek devices (WiFi, Bluetooth, Audio and so on)"
  [linux-firmware-mediatek]="Firmware for MediaTek and Ralink devices (WiFi, Bluetooth, Audio and so on)"
  [linux-firmware-cirrus]="Firmware for Cirrus Logic audio devices"
  [linux-firmware-whence]="Metadata and shared firmware support (always required)"
  [linux-firmware-other]="Unsorted firmware for various devices"
)

# Commonly useful firmware packages even if not explicitly matched
RECOMMENDED_FW=(
  linux-firmware-realtek
  linux-firmware-broadcom
  linux-firmware-atheros
  linux-firmware-mediatek
  linux-firmware-other
)

# Define search keywords and associated firmware packages
declare -A KEYWORD_TO_FW=(
  [amd]="linux-firmware-amdgpu"
  [radeon]="linux-firmware-radeon"
  [ati]="linux-firmware-radeon"
  [intel]="linux-firmware-intel"
  [nvidia]="linux-firmware-nvidia"
  [broadcom]="linux-firmware-broadcom"
  [atheros]="linux-firmware-atheros"
  [realtek]="linux-firmware-realtek"
  [mediatek]="linux-firmware-mediatek"
  [intel]="linux-firmware-intel"
  [cirrus]="linux-firmware-cirrus"
)

# Collect hardware info (lowercase)
HARDWARE=$( (lspci; lsusb) | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' )

# Track matches
declare -A NEEDED_FW
declare -A MATCHES

# Match keywords against hardware output
for keyword in "${!KEYWORD_TO_FW[@]}"; do
  if echo "$HARDWARE" | grep -q "\W$keyword\W"; then
    fw="${KEYWORD_TO_FW[$keyword]}"
    NEEDED_FW["$fw"]=1
    MATCHES["$fw"]+="$keyword "
  fi
done

# Always needed
NEEDED_FW["linux-firmware-whence"]=1

# Show installed firmware packages
INSTALLED_FW=$(pacman -Q | grep '^linux-firmware-' | awk '{print $1}')

echo
echo "📦 Installed linux-firmware packages:"
echo "$INSTALLED_FW"
echo

echo "✅ Suggested firmware packages to keep:"
for fw in "${!NEEDED_FW[@]}"; do
  printf "  %-25s  %s\n" "$fw" "${FW_HELP[$fw]}"
done

echo
echo "💡 Recommended firmware packages to keep:"
for fw in "${RECOMMENDED_FW[@]}"; do
  if [[ -z "${NEEDED_FW[$fw]}" && "$INSTALLED_FW" =~ $fw ]]; then
    printf "  %-25s  %s\n" "$fw" "${FW_HELP[$fw]}"
  fi
done

echo
echo "❌ Possibly unused firmware packages:"
for fw in $INSTALLED_FW; do
  if [[ -z "${NEEDED_FW[$fw]}" ]]; then
    # Skip if it's in the recommended list
    skip=0
    for rec in "${RECOMMENDED_FW[@]}"; do
      [[ "$fw" == "$rec" ]] && skip=1 && break
    done
    [[ $skip -eq 1 ]] && continue

    printf "  %-25s  %s\n" "$fw" "${FW_HELP[$fw]}"
  fi
done

echo

Nice, thanks!
A feedback for improvement: for my system with AMD 4800H (iGPU), the script suggests to keep linux-firmware-radeon but not linux-firmware-amdgpu. By experimenting with (un)installing, amdgpu is the one that brings back the graphic performance and radeon is without effect on my system.

Thanks @cyanescent

Could you please send the output of (lspci; lsusb) | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' command?

$ (lspci; lsusb) | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]'
00:00.0 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir/cezanne root complex
00:00.2 iommu: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir/cezanne iommu
00:01.0 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir pcie dummy host bridge
00:01.2 pci bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir/cezanne pcie gpp bridge
00:01.3 pci bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir/cezanne pcie gpp bridge
00:02.0 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir pcie dummy host bridge
00:02.4 pci bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir/cezanne pcie gpp bridge
00:08.0 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir pcie dummy host bridge
00:08.1 pci bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir internal pcie gpp bridge to bus
00:08.2 pci bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir internal pcie gpp bridge to bus
00:14.0 smbus: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] fch smbus controller (rev 51)
00:14.3 isa bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] fch lpc bridge (rev 51)
00:18.0 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir device 24: function 0
00:18.1 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir device 24: function 1
00:18.2 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir device 24: function 2
00:18.3 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir device 24: function 3
00:18.4 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir device 24: function 4
00:18.5 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir device 24: function 5
00:18.6 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir device 24: function 6
00:18.7 host bridge: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir device 24: function 7
01:00.0 network controller: intel corporation wi-fi 6 ax200 (rev 1a)
02:00.0 ethernet controller: realtek semiconductor co., ltd. rtl8111/8168/8211/8411 pci express gigabit ethernet controller (rev 15)
03:00.0 non-volatile memory controller: micron technology inc 2300 nvme ssd [santana]
04:00.0 vga compatible controller: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd/ati] renoir [radeon vega series / radeon vega mobile series] (rev c6)
04:00.1 audio device: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd/ati] renoir radeon high definition audio controller
04:00.2 encryption controller: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] family 17h (models 10h-1fh) platform security processor
04:00.3 usb controller: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir/cezanne usb 3.1
04:00.4 usb controller: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] renoir/cezanne usb 3.1
04:00.5 multimedia controller: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] audio coprocessor (rev 01)
04:00.6 audio device: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] family 17h/19h/1ah hd audio controller
05:00.0 sata controller: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] fch sata controller [ahci mode] (rev 81)
05:00.1 sata controller: advanced micro devices, inc. [amd] fch sata controller [ahci mode] (rev 81)
bus 001 device 001: id 1d6b:0002 linux foundation 2.0 root hub
bus 001 device 002: id 04f2:b71a chicony electronics co., ltd integrated ir camera
bus 001 device 003: id 05e3:0608 genesys logic, inc. hub
bus 001 device 004: id 0bda:0129 realtek semiconductor corp. rts5129 card reader controller
bus 001 device 005: id 8087:0029 intel corp. ax200 bluetooth
bus 002 device 001: id 1d6b:0003 linux foundation 3.0 root hub
bus 003 device 001: id 1d6b:0002 linux foundation 2.0 root hub
bus 004 device 001: id 1d6b:0003 linux foundation 3.0 root hub

@cyanescent Thanks for the output.

I updated the script, now it suggests keeping both in your case (based on amd, ati and radeon keywords).

I added some help texts for each firmware and also recommendation for packages to keep (even when unused)