Snapdragon DRM/KMS Driver Merged For Linux 3.12

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Snapdragon DRM/KMS Driver Merged For Linux 3.12

The upcoming Linux 3.12 kernel will feature a DRM/KMS driver that supports Qualcomm Snapdragon/Adreno graphics...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTQ0NzQ

[chithanh]

Cool, just as the Nexus 4 dropped in price to $199/?199/?159. That means the Qualcomm driver will no longer hold back development of alternative distros on that phone.

[c117152]

Congratulations!

This is just amazing!
Just, well done man. Well done.

[CTown]

All newer Nexus devices use Snapdragon.

Cool, just as the Nexus 4 dropped in price to $199/€199/?159. That means the Qualcomm driver will no longer hold back development of alternative distros on that phone.

This driver frees more hardware than just the Nexus 4. Like pretty much all HTC phones, American versions of the Galaxy S devices tend to use Snapdragons. The Nexus 7 tablets also use Snapdragons. Also, since the next Nexus phone will be made by either LG or Motorola it will most likely be powered by a Snapdragon! Which is awesome considering how open Nexus devices are (Ubuntu Mobile was tested on the third and fourth Nexus phones while Plasma Active can run on the Nexus 7).

Seriously, thanks a lot for this driver, Rob Clark. Also, thank you Red Hat for paying this guy to work on such a great project.

[droidhacker]

This driver frees more hardware than just the Nexus 4. Like pretty much all HTC phones, American versions of the Galaxy S devices tend to use Snapdragons. The Nexus 7 tablets also use Snapdragons. Also, since the next Nexus phone will be made by either LG or Motorola it will most likely be powered by a Snapdragon! Which is awesome considering how open Nexus devices are (Ubuntu Mobile was tested on the third and fourth Nexus phones while Plasma Active can run on the Nexus 7).

Seriously, thanks a lot for this driver, Rob Clark. Also, thank you Red Hat for paying this guy to work on such a great project.

Actually, all phones and tablets, and everything else, with a qualcomm SoC. That is basically 95% of all mobile hardware.

N4 really won't change much because of this. N4 is a phone, and that means that it needs to actually function like a phone, which means that you won't find many people besides the dorkiest of geeks running a desktop linux distro on one... and even they won't be running it for long.

[chithanh]

I don't think 95% is even close.

And of course you don't want to run desktop Linux distributions on the Nexus 4. Currently you can run Ubuntu touch or Firefox OS on the N4 and with the freedreno driver this is likely to expand to more platforms. WebOS is one example where the lack of accelerated graphics drivers is cited as roadblock for a port.

[robclark]

Actually, all phones and tablets, and everything else, with a qualcomm SoC. That is basically 95% of all mobile hardware.

N4 really won't change much because of this. N4 is a phone, and that means that it needs to actually function like a phone, which means that you won't find many people besides the dorkiest of geeks running a desktop linux distro on one... and even they won't be running it for long.

yeah, tablets are more interesting. I did a lot of work on n4 mostly because I just needed some hw w/ apq8064 and that was what I had. (Although, it would be a cute hack if someone rigged up a gnome-shell phone dialer extension ;-))

[robclark]

I don't think 95% is even close.

And of course you don't want to run desktop Linux distributions on the Nexus 4. Currently you can run Ubuntu touch or Firefox OS on the N4 and with the freedreno driver this is likely to expand to more platforms. WebOS is one example where the lack of accelerated graphics drivers is cited as roadblock for a port.

tbh, my interest is more towards real linux, rather than re-skinned android. WebOS could probably use freedreno if someone writes the EGL bits for mesa to support WebOS (which would also make it possible to run WebOS on other mesa opensrc drivers, which seems useful).

That said, I don't think (other than for tinkering) it is really what you want on your phone. But for tablets, and SBC's (like ifc6410) it is pretty nice to be able to run linux.

For phones.. well if someone put together an android build for n4 which used freedreno, I'd use that :-)

[jonwil]

Actually, all phones and tablets, and everything else, with a qualcomm SoC. That is basically 95% of all mobile hardware.

No way that 95% of mobile devices run on Qualcomm parts. Or are you pretending the TI OMAP line of chips doesn't exist?

[curaga]

No way that 95% of mobile devices run on Qualcomm parts. Or are you pretending the TI OMAP line of chips doesn't exist?

The same OMAP line they closed in Oct 2012?

For sure they're in the installed base, but hardly in production.