How Google's Android Maintains A Stable Linux Kernel ABI

[birdie]

I thought the userspace API was stable, and that only the internal ABI was not.

Well, other popular kernels offer stable internal APIs/ABIs, e.g. ntoskrnl.exe, XNU, qnx, etc. Not indefinitely of course.

[doragasu]

I thought the userspace API was stable, and that only the internal ABI was not.

[birdie]

Which kinda invalidates the claim that Linux is the most popular kernel in the world 'cause Google doesn't use the mainline kernel. They have a very special fork with tons of patches which they maintain on their own. That also explains why they're busy developing Zircon - they want their own fast and efficient kernel which features stable ABIs/APIs out of the box, unlike the Linux kernel where stable APIs are nonsense.

I'd venture to say that kernel developers' position in this regard is nonsense but ardent open source fanboys will find the most bizarre arguments to defend this point of view even though many are using ZFS and other out-of-kernel modules whose developers consonantly struggle to maintain compatibility.

[skeevy420]

Huh. Well I'll be damned. Here I was thinking their method was to stick with old kernels.

I don't think I have a single Android device that runs newer than 4.0.X and my current tablet and phone both run 3.1X (3.10 and 3.17).

[phoronix]

Phoronix: How Google's Android Maintains A Stable Linux Kernel ABI

While the Linux kernel is well known for not offering a stable API/ABI, Google and other enterprise Linux distribution vendors tend to aim at providing their own stable ABI for the lifespan of their products. Google engineers talked in Portugal this week at Linux Plumbers Conference 2019 about some of their means to maintaining a stable API/ABI for Android's Linux kernel...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...ble-Kernel-ABI