Raspberry Pi 5 Kernel Graphics Driver Support Queued Ahead Of Linux 6.8

An initial set of drm-misc-next changes has been sent out today to DRM-Next of the very first feature patches to begin queuing until the Linux 6.8 merge window opens up around the start of the new year.

Today's first drm-misc-next pull request toward Linux 6.8 includes a new CLOSE_FB ioctl for the core DRM user-space API. This new ioctl is for closing a frame-buffer without disabling planes or CRTCs. There is already wlroots patches pending for this in user-space. The intent with CLOSE_FB is for allowing the seamless transition between two DRM masters.

The other big change with this pull request is the V3D DRM driver adding support for the Broadcom BCM2712. This is what's needed for getting the Raspberry Pi 5 kernel graphics/display driver going in the open-source V3D Direct Rendering Manager driver.

In user-space Mesa 23.3 adds Raspberry Pi 5 support for the OpenGL and Vulkan drivers but depends upon this DRM kernel support to be merged for Linux 6.8. For now the likes of Raspberry Pi OS are carrying their own patched kernel. The Raspberry Pi V3D driver also adds GPUTop support in this pull as well as FDINFO support.

Also notable with this initial set of feature patches is the Intel IVPU driver updating its driver for the NPU on Meteor Lake and later. The new changes there are better power management, MMU PT optimizations, firmware handling improvements, support for uncached buffers, and other new features.

More information on this first of several drm-misc-next updates for what will be ultimately included in Linux 6.8 can be found via this pull request.