Android Drivers To Be Included in Linux 3.3 Kernel

[tiagosilva29]

Android drivers are returning to the Linux kernel. Kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman has retrieved the Android drivers removed from the staging area of Linux 2.6.33 in the spring of 2010 and put them back into his development branch for version 3.3 of the Linux kernel.

The plan is for a Linux 3.3 kernel to be able to boot on an Android device without further patches ? although not all Android patches are being automatically carried over to the main development branch. For example, the WakeLock code, which helps Android devices' batteries last longer but is not necessary for booting, is not included.

The Linux Foundation's Consumer Electronics workgroup, along with a group at Linaro and various individual developers, is working with Kroah-Hartmann on this project. Tim Bird, chair of the Architecture Group, has launched the Android Mainlining Project with the goal of coordinating work on integrating the Android features. Developers interested in helping to integrate Android patches into the mainline kernel can sign up for the project's mailing list.

Source: The H Online

[Growled Member]

That's cool but do you think anyone will actually use this kernel.

[tiagosilva29]

Yes.

[Ci7]

That's cool but do you think anyone will actually use this kernel.

Android ICS use kernel 3.0 ,no?

[zivan56]

Android drivers can never be fully in the kernel, they rely on separate userspace drivers which are invoked via JNI interfaces for any meaningful device (camera, lights, sound, etc). So they would be mostly useless without the Android core itself.

[x-byte]

Another example of Linux not sure what it wants... Linux should be getting together and create a more focused edition, not work on hundreds of distros. The community sure has resources to do it. The last few years they have been lagging too far behind both Mac and Windows.

[ToneKnee]

Another example of Linux not sure what it wants... Linux should be getting together and create a more focused edition, not work on hundreds of distros. The community sure has resources to do it. The last few years they have been lagging too far behind both Mac and Windows.

This isn't an example of anything. Stuff can be added and removed at any time if there are issues with the code. The Android drivers mentioned are infact managed by Google and co companies, nothing to do with the Linux kernel maintainers. Those people need to decide what should be put in the mainline and what doesn't.

And yet again as I just said, this is to do with the Linux kernel, not distros.

[Miuku.]

Another example of Linux not sure what it wants...

They want to include drivers from Android in the kernel, that's all. Ability for users, not necessarily just hardware developers, to use the same kernel on various Android tablets/devices is a nice bonus, hardly fragmentation or anything.

If Windows included drivers for various hardware, would you call it "not knowing what it wants to be?" No, they would just include a new batch of drivers for different hardware.

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

Linux should be getting together and create a more focused edition, not work on hundreds of distros. The community sure has resources to do it. The last few years they have been lagging too far behind both Mac and Windows.

So you disagree with Windows 8 being available on tablets as well I take it?

[x-byte]

I rather want the Linux community to use their time creating something for the desktop that can compete with Mac and Windows. Linux haven't been relevant to the desktop market. This is a step into the tablet market. Sure Linux can be relevant there, but not as long as "everyone" thinks what they do is better. Focusing on drivers is one thing. Why not use resources to make a kernel and api's that everyone need to use? Now Linux is so fragmented that you have several systems for audio, video, etc.

Sorry for ranting and going a bit off topic, but I really want Linux to be better that it is today. It's not that it is bad. Only that it can be so much better.

[c3ntury]

I rather want the Linux community to use their time creating something for the desktop that can compete with Mac and Windows. Linux haven't been relevant to the desktop market. This is a step into the tablet market. Sure Linux can be relevant there, but not as long as "everyone" thinks what they do is better. Focusing on drivers is one thing. Why not use resources to make a kernel and api's that everyone need to use? Now Linux is so fragmented that you have several systems for audio, video, etc.

Sorry for ranting and going a bit off topic, but I really want Linux to be better that it is today. It's not that it is bad. Only that it can be so much better.

Linux being relevant to the tablet audience == Android.

[DeadEndAccount]

That's cool but do you think anyone will actually use this kernel.

It should help the custom rom/homebrew community that is being built around handset OEM's who are shipping phones with unlocked boot loaders - IIRC HTC's Android phones have unlocked boot loaders.

Another example of Linux not sure what it wants... Linux should be getting together and create a more focused edition, not work on hundreds of distros. The community sure has resources to do it. The last few years they have been lagging too far behind both Mac and Windows.

Linux is the kernel not the distribution - this has been covered so many times it isn't funny to hear the same ill-informed half baked comments like yours every time this topic appears on the radar. The issue is about drivers within the kernel source code rather than it being a separate project - the issue has been discussed on and off because Google was too lazy to properly support the drivers once they were in the tree but it appears things have changed and Google has finally taken on the responsibility required to have their code in the main tree.

[HawkMan]

They want to include drivers from Android in the kernel, that's all. Ability for users, not necessarily just hardware developers, to use the same kernel on various Android tablets/devices is a nice bonus, hardly fragmentation or anything.

If Windows included drivers for various hardware, would you call it "not knowing what it wants to be?" No, they would just include a new batch of drivers for different hardware.

no they'd call it bloat.

on linux it's "choice"....

[htcz]

Linus said this was going to happen: Android code into the main linux branch.

[primexx]

no they'd call it bloat.

on linux it's "choice"....

do you have any idea how many drivers Windows comes with by default to handle all the hardware it's installed on?

[HawkMan]

In the kernel ?

And less than most Linux distros ;)

[Miuku.]

no they'd call it bloat.

on linux it's "choice"....

That must be why Windows 7 takes more space installed currently, and supports less hardware out of the box, than a Linux distribution that fits on a single CD and comes with as much software.

I'd say there's still quite a lot of room left for "bloat" to be added.

[HawkMan]

That must be why Windows 7 takes more space installed currently, and supports less hardware out of the box, than a Linux distribution that fits on a single CD and comes with as much software.

I'd say there's still quite a lot of room left for "bloat" to be added.

1. You just proved my point

2. you need to learn what bloat is.

oh and yeah, but that's because MS sropped supporting crap from the 90's, and linux still doesn't support a lot of stuff from the 2000's :)

[ichi]

Adding drivers to the kernel tree doesn't mean that they will ship with every distro, just that they'll be properly mantained and that they'll work out of the box if they are enabled when the kernel is compiled.

You won't be seeing Android drivers enabled on a desktop distro that's not intended to run on Android related hardware.

I'd say the comments about bloat are largely ignorant.

[Miuku.]

2. you need to learn what bloat is.

Unnecessary things, which including more support for hardware that millions of users already have isn't. Then again, Windows includes DVD makers and useless crap that no one I know has ever used or most of the time doesn't even realize is included with it.

oh and yeah, but that's because MS sropped supporting crap from the 90's, and linux still doesn't support a lot of stuff from the 2000's :)

And Windows doesn't include a ton of modern hardware either - for example HP Printers that work out of the box on OSX or Linux still require manual installation of drivers from their website.

[HawkMan]

No they don't, just use the universal driver, which is what linux does. pf course it isn't as good as the individual driver for the product so it doesn't auto install it when the printer is connected.

and most printers have a usable life of years or less before they're no longer any purpose of having. so most won't be in the windows drivers because they weren't out when the disc was burned. Also with windows 7 MS delibaretaly removed many gigs of printer driver bloat from the disc because it was taking up space and was unnecessary for 99.99999% of people. s

eriously, the best you could come up with was printer drivers....

also any HP laser pritner will work OOB on ANY OS (whith the exception of a few low end cheap "widnowsPritners" or HostUSB printers as they're known internally and technically. These generally won't work on OSX or Linux at all due to lack of drivers. I don't think they do a lot of HostUSB printers anymore though.

[nw2001]

Wow seriously guys? It's a thread about android/linux and you guys argue start comparing windows and linux? It's barely relevant and basically flame material.