Linux 4.9 Adds Support For 29 New ARM Machines, Includes Raspberry Pi Zero & LG Nexus 5

[droidhacker]

"board mainline support" means that in mainline there are device tree files (a file used to describe the board's specifications/addresses/devices/GPIO so the kernel can adjust itself to boot and operate on that board automagically), and stuff needed to boot at all like CPU clock drivers.

In practical day-to-day use it means that any project supporting them can drop the local kernel patches they were using to support them in their build.

There the bigger issue there isn't board support in mainline, but drivers.

no, this is board (RAM, buttons, interfaces) and CPU support only.

** AND GPU, since it is Adreno (uses Freedreno driver).

[starshipeleven]

** AND GPU, since it is Adreno (uses Freedreno driver).

I know that the GPU runs with freedreno.

I'm talking about this patch. This kernel addition is NOT about GPU nor any other peripheral. This patch is about the board and the CPU, period.

[pal666]

Android *CAN* use vanilla kernel, IF the hardware is all supported by it.

no, android has non-hardware kernel changes, but people are working to upstream them

[andreano]

What does mean in practical, day-to-day use, that some boards will have mainline support?

To the user, it means you aren't bound to the supplier's increasingly dated kernel, which:
* Is often hilariously outdated already when it's new.
* They might have forgotten some basic kernel modules (e.g. fuse driver), which can be very irritating.
* Won't be maintained very long.

The kernel you get from your favorite distro will be much better tested, well it will actually have been tested, and won't have silly flaws like this, and it will actually be updated.