Linux 5.7 Adds Support For The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Mainline PinePhone Support

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux 5.7 Adds Support For The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Mainline PinePhone Support

Some exciting ARM SoCs and devices are supported by the mainline Linux 5.7 kernel...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-5.7-ARM-Hardware

[SyXbiT]

I get that it's good for stuff to go in mainline, but all QCOMM Snapdragon 865 devices shipping in the next 2 years with the 4.19 kernel. No exceptions. And after 2 years, they likely won't be shipping at all.
So, what's the value here?

[Baguy]

Afaik this is only initial Pinephone support. Not everything is mainlined yet afaik. Still good to see nonetheless, one step closer, especially since the Pinephone will be shipping in a month!

[StandaSK]

I get that it's good for stuff to go in mainline, but all QCOMM Snapdragon 865 devices shipping in the next 2 years with the 4.19 kernel. No exceptions. And after 2 years, they likely won't be shipping at all.
So, what's the value here?

Well, the value in this isn't immediate. But this stuff helps a lot for when you want to run mainline Linux on your phone (see e.g. postmarketOS).

[paupav]

I'm calling Year of Linux on phones.

[CuriousTommy]

I'm calling Year of Linux on phones.

More like, the Year of Mainline Linux on phone.

[andyprough]

I'm calling Year of Linux on phones.

You are correct. In fact, every year since 2011 has been the year of Linux on phones.

[uid313]

Is this basic Snapdragon 865 support or full support? To what extend is the support there? Is it fully featured?

Is Snapdragon 845 and 855 already supported? Or is the 865 the best supported so far?

[StandaSK]

Is this basic Snapdragon 865 support or full support? To what extend is the support there? Is it fully featured?

Is Snapdragon 845 and 855 already supported? Or is the 865 the best supported so far?

Now I know code size is not the correct way to look at this, but here I go anyway:

• sm8250.dtsi (Snapdragon 865) - 444 lines
• sm8150.dtsi (Snapdragon 855) - 867 lines
• sdm845.dtsi (Snapdragon 845) - 4497 lines

[ehansin]

Excuse my ignorance here, but does the mainline inclusion support for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC also mean there is graphics inclusion? I just don't know details, but do know that open source graphics on ARM is sore spot. According to here, it uses the Adreno 650 GPU:

https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/qualcomm/snapdragon_800/865#Graphics

I would love to see some high end ARM chips with open source graphics available. Could be some really nice low powered desktop options out there, and laptops as well. Obviously not race cars like a Xeon, but good low power options that fit many people's basic needs.

On that note, is there anything about the ARM (8 in particular) architecture that makes it unable to run some programs that X86-64 can? I get that the later architecture has certain advantages, but at a power consumption cost, but curious from an application perspective what you may lose, not concerned about performance.