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Why Canonical Is Using Android Drivers For Ubuntu Mir

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  • Why Canonical Is Using Android Drivers For Ubuntu Mir

    Phoronix: Why Canonical Is Using Android Drivers For Ubuntu Mir

    With Canonical's Mir Display Server for future releases of Ubuntu Linux, they are supporting Android's graphics layer and drivers rather than inventing their own solution, trying to push X.Org drivers, or demanding mobile graphics drivers modelled after the desktop Linux graphics stack. Why did they do this? Here's an explanation...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    The only way it up.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by phoronix View Post
      Phoronix: Why Canonical Is Using Android Drivers For Ubuntu Mir

      With Canonical's Mir Display Server for future releases of Ubuntu Linux, they are supporting Android's graphics layer and drivers rather than inventing their own solution, trying to push X.Org drivers, or demanding mobile graphics drivers modelled after the desktop Linux graphics stack. Why did they do this? Here's an explanation...

      http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTM0NjQ

      Did the "we are working with hardware vendor for Mir's support in drivers" just become "hardware vendors are not responding our calls let's just use Android drivers instead" ?

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      • #4
        I can't help but wonder if by the time Mir is stable that Intel Atom with HD graphics will be the "OMG gotta have it" of tablets.

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        • #5
          Why not just use SurfaceFlinger

          I mean, it's clear at this point the whole Ubuntu project is focused on phone/tablets. And their essentially trying to build as much off Android as possible with different systems and APIs.

          So what is it that SurfaceFlinger doesn't provide that Mir will?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by smitty3268 View Post
            So what is it that SurfaceFlinger doesn't provide that Mir will?
            Desktop support.

            Obviously if even Google couldn't force hardware vendors to provide open drivers, using the existing Android interfaces was the only sane choice for rapid release, but Ubuntu's NIH syndrome still disgusts me. I'm happy to see other, properly open, projects drag their heels merging Mir support.

            And, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't nVidia/ATI just talking about implementing OpenGL ES support, rather than Mir support specifically?

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            • #7
              Originally posted by pdffs View Post
              And, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't nVidia/ATI just talking about implementing OpenGL ES support, rather than Mir support specifically?
              They haven't said anything about Mir at all. NVidia has said they were part way along getting an EGL driver out, for Wayland. And Canonical has said they are in talks with both NVidia and AMD, but we've heard nothing from the other direction.

              I highly suspect whatever EGL driver comes out will support both Wayland and Mir, with minimal changes necessary. And if it doesn't, i highly suspect Mir will change until it does, because those drivers are going to target Wayland first and foremost because they are meant for the enterprise versions that end up in corporations, not tablets or desktops.
              Last edited by smitty3268; 09 April 2013, 12:23 AM.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by smitty3268 View Post
                They haven't said anything about Mir at all. NVidia has said they were part way along getting an EGL driver out, for Wayland.
                Where did they say this? I must've missed it.

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                • #9
                  From the article...

                  Drivers and hardware support are the foundation of a well performing, amazing computing experience. With Mir and Ubuntu Next, we?re not building our house upon sand, we?re building it upon rock!
                  A "super excited!" bit of breathlessness straight out of the Microsoft marketing playbook and a comparison to a biblical parable drawn straight from a collection of iron age fairy tales. Uh, wait, did I just repeat myself?

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by xeekei View Post
                    Where did they say this? I must've missed it.
                    Yes, it's referred to this article....but it doesn't say that the support will start with Wayland! I wouldn't be surprised if Nvidia , above all, will accept the challange. But Canonical has to prove that there will be an advantage with Mir! Let's wait!
                    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite
                    Last edited by tacco; 09 April 2013, 01:36 AM.

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