The Mainline Linux Kernel To Finally Support The Google Tensor GS101 SoC & Pixel 6

[phoronix]

Phoronix: The Mainline Linux Kernel To Finally Support The Google Tensor GS101 SoC & Pixel 6

The Google Tensor GS101 SoC launched in 2021 with the Google Pixel 6 smartphone. More than two years later the mainline Linux kernel is finally to see upstream support with the forthcoming Linux 6.8 kernel cycle...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.8-GS101-SoC-Pixel-6

[monty11ez]

I'm glad to see this support added. We need more in kernel support for phones reaching end of support.

[elatllat]

Meanwhile as awesome as LineageOS is, it only has 7 devices on kernel(5.10.157), which is a year behind upstream(5.10.204).
The 523 other devices are stuck on kernels as old as 3.4.113 , proprietary drivers being so prevalent.

[and.elf]

And yet, my stock Pixel 6 with Android 14 has 5.10, originally built for Android 13 (if the kernel version tag is anything to go by)

[cybik]

If I can start using postmarketOS on a Pixel 6a "soon" I'll be very happy.

[saladin]

If I can start using postmarketOS on a Pixel 6a "soon" I'll be very happy.

I'm sticking to my trusty Oneplus 6 until it dies. But if that's "soon", I may pick up a pixel 6.

[ITSulu_dev]

I am happy this hardware is supported.

[ezst036]

This is good news in general. Hopefully postmarketOS and UBPorts can get additional phones supported.

One thing that worries me. What kinds of spyware has Google embedded into the SOC hardware itself? Even if we load Linux, is Google still winning and stealing all our data anyways at the hardware level?

[vandelay]

And yet, my stock Pixel 6 with Android 14 has 5.10, originally built for Android 13 (if the kernel version tag is anything to go by)

Same goes for the stock Pixel 7, updated to Android 14 and still stuck on 5.10, even though it launched with Android 13 which had 5.15 available as a launch kernel. https://source.android.com/docs/core...launch-kernels

[clippy]

Meanwhile as awesome as LineageOS is, it only has 7 devices on kernel(5.10.157), which is a year behind upstream(5.10.204).
The 523 other devices are stuck on kernels as old as 3.4.113 , proprietary drivers being so prevalent.

To be fair, LineageOS generally backports all relevant fixes from upstream kernel point releases, they just don't bother bumping up the version number.