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The Linux driver ABI doesn't need to be stable because the drivers are supposed to be published under the GPL. This way manufactures just need to help get their
by swiley 6y ago
The Linux driver ABI doesn't need to be stable because the drivers are supposed to be published under the GPL. This way manufactures just need to help get their drivers upstreamed and are largely off the hook for support after that.
Androids awful graphics API is hack that allows Qualcomm to keep the driver source closed which means the BSPs rot and you can't use your phone after 2-3 years.
I'll happily buy a 10 year old SoC with half the clock speed but open source drivers over anything from Qualcomm because of how awful they are with this.
- pantalaimon 6y agoThere is actually quite some upstream work happening for Qualcomm SoCs these days, it's just a lot of effort.
- swiley 6y agoLast I checked the official work the graphics drivers were completely left out.
- pantalaimon 6y agoThat would be freedreno, not sure how complete it is yet.
- swiley 6y agoFreedreno didn't come from Qualcomm and I've been through two Qualcomm based phones since it was started. Last time I checked (and I did give up a couple years ago) they barely had framebuffer support on a couple SoCs I didn't have.
- alex7o 6y agoThis has been a long time ago. One of the Pixel phones was running freedreno by default.
- bitmapbrother 6y agoQualcomm is allowing their GPU drivers to be updated via the Play Store. This started in 2020 so it will only apply to Qualcomm SoC's released from 2020 onwards.