Android AOSP Leader Quits Over Binary GPU Drivers

[rstat1]

That makes more sense. Can't he log into the device and copy the drivers out? It's pretty sad Qualcomm won't let the binaries be posted in the tree. Qualcomm seems pretty chum with Microsoft though.

Yea he could do that (as that what third party ROMs do) but that doesn't give him (or Google) the right to distribute them. I'd bet if MS wanted to distribute Qualcomm drivers separately they'd still complain.

[Sn3ipen]

Note to self: Don't buy Qualcom powered devices.

[zoomblab]

Qualcomm should better play nice with Google Android. I think that being chosen as a reference platform, through a Nexus device, is a key move for the broader success of a soc generation and maybe one their biggest source of income. It is not like Qualcomm has a monopoly in the ARM space, there are strong alternatives. If I was at the Google helm, I would choose nvidia for the next nexus and I would make a deal to specifically support AOSP with drivers as required.

If Google knew that these kind of problem would exist, it was a mistake to build the new Nexus 7 with a Qualcomm chip in the first place. IMO, these things should be arranged internally between companies at an early stage.

[Ramiliez]

He didn't quit because Qualcomm wouldn't open up its drivers. He quitted because Qualcomm wouldn't allow Google to publish factory images and binaries for the new nexus 7. He said there's no point of being the maintainer of an OS that can't boot a device for lack of a GPU driver (I'm paraphrasing). I guess he would love to have open source code for GPUs in AOSP (who wouldn't) but it seems to me he is frustrated because he is unable to test AOSP builds in a Nexus device.

And he was blamed for this and couldnt defend himself because he was under NDA

[mcirsta]

this will be history soon

This will all be history soon when the new 22nm Atoms arrive and blow all this ARM stuff out of the water as far as performance goes. Don't get me wrong, I like ARM and I'm no fan of Intel and x86 but this has gone on for long enough. No open source drivers for ARM GPUs, custom kernels and bootloaders for ARM and so on.
The 22nm Atoms will change all this as they will have Intel open source GPUs with Intel finally dropping those crappy PowerVR GPUs they used in Atoms. ARM will feel the pressure for the first time and they can make some changes ( they already started some unification work in the kernel with DTS and all that ) and open source the Mali drivers or at least provide documentation or they can just sit while I and others buy Intel powered smartphones and tablets.

[uid313]

I understand why he quits.

The reason to buy a Nexus device is that it is you get the Google experience, it's open, you can have root, etc.
If the Nexus devices are proprietary then that sucks.

I think Google should have never partnered with Qualcomm, they should have continued with Nvidia or went with whoever is the most open source friendly.

[ProfessorKaos64]

Sure...

I understand why he quits.

The reason to buy a Nexus device is that it is you get the Google experience, it's open, you can have root, etc.
If the Nexus devices are proprietary then that sucks.

I think Google should have never partnered with Qualcomm, they should have continued with Nvidia or went with whoever is the most open source friendly.

Good luck with that. I think there is a reason why Linus gave Nvidia the middle finger last year...

[erendorn]

Good luck with that. I think there is a reason why Linus gave Nvidia the middle finger last year...

There is a reason, but it is not the tegra chips.

[GreatEmerald]

Note to self: Don't buy Qualcom powered devices.

Well, last time I checked, Qualcomm Atheros was still the best option in terms of Linux-friendly network devices.

[paul4hp]

This is exactly what happens when device manufacturers did not support SoC manufacturers, such as TI (no longer in mobile) ST-Ericsson (now extinct), who were big into open source. We are now left with monopolistic tyrants such as Qualcomm.