Imagination Working On A New Open-Source Linux Graphics Driver Project

While many in the Linux community still cringe when hearing Imagination Tech's PowerVR given the troubling state of their graphics drivers over the years, in 2020 it looks like they are pursuing a new open-source graphics driver project.

Imagination is now hiring for skilled driver developers to be "a founder of our new Linux open source graphics driver project." Imagination is currently hiring for Linux open-source graphics drivers. This just isn't an open kernel driver but is said to be both for open-source kernel and Mesa drivers. "We need you to join the Linux driver development team and put your software development skills to the test. You will focus on developing a new Linux open source graphics driver stack, including Mesa and kernel-mode drivers. You will be a member of a small team, working alongside other software teams implementing the existing driver stack for PowerVR graphics hardware."

This open-source driver would be for both current and next-gen graphics hardware.

I'm cautiously optimistic, but let's not forget five years ago Imagination was also hiring for open-source graphics driver developers and not much came out of that effort. Hell for nearly a decade has been talk at different times of varying open-source PowerVR drivers.

At least compared to years ago, these days there are multiple embedded graphics processors supported by open-source kernel DRM drivers and within Mesa a growing number of drivers like Freedreno/Turnip, Broadcom V3D, Panfrost, and others. With support for licensing PowerVR graphics for even SiFive RISC-V SoCs now, having an open-source driver does make this possibility more appealing. Let's hope in 2020 it becomes a reality with a Linux kernel and Mesa driver stack for Imagination PowerVR graphics.