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This is happening because of Project Treble which creating a boundary between device drivers and the kernel. Earlier, kernel versions (even android versions it
by sandGorgon 8y ago
This is happening because of Project Treble which creating a boundary between device drivers and the kernel.
Earlier, kernel versions (even android versions itself) were subject to integration of device drivers into the kernel source code... which took a long time and often resulted in forced obsolescence.
By separating out the driver interface using Treble, you can update the kernel and android versions from upstream without worrying about driver integration/updates.
- pjmlp 8y agoThis is happening, because Project Treble still requires OEMs to ship updates and in one year after its introduction, Oreo got a meager 10% when Android P was announced and OEMs were still shipping Nougat with updates to Oreo, which doesn't require Project Treble compliance in such cases. Google is finally facing the issue that regular consumers aren't caring to update anymore, specially now that devices are quite usable for several years. So if they want to bring new OS versions into the market they really have to force OEMs to do it. Hence the new GSI concept, finally adding update clauses to the Play Store usage agreement, and now upstreaming kernel changes.
- taralx 8y agoSadly, no. Both kernel and device drivers are in the HAL: https://blog.linuxplumbersconf.org/2017/ocw/system/presentations/4807/original/Treble%20&%20Kernel%20-%20Plumbers.pdf https://blog.linuxplumbersconf.org/2017/ocw/system/presentat...