Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
1–10 of 116 posts
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#2With Google's eventual transition to Fuschia OS, the skeptic in me sees this as little more than an easy PR win before they begin to wind down new Android development.
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#3With Google's eventual transition to Fuschia OS, the skeptic in me sees this as little more than an easy PR win before they begin to wind down new Android development.
But finally this happened. The issue has been around for years. I think (hope) this will dramatically improve the update situation on Android. I wonder though how close Fuchsia is for day-to-day use on current phones
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#4With Google's eventual transition to Fuschia OS, the skeptic in me sees this as little more than an easy PR win before they begin to wind down new Android development.
But finally this happened. The issue has been around for years. I think (hope) this will dramatically improve the update situation on Android. I wonder though how close Fuchsia is for day-to-day use on current phones
I'm afraid vendor BSPs will be a shit situation for until the end of time, since they are still allowed to ship custom kernel modules - which means when Google updates the kernel, the modules will also have to be reworked (since they live outside of the kernel, they don't benefit from upstream rework effort), and most vendors will take their sorry sweet time to do so or do nothing at all.
Really, I don't get why Google with all its financial and legal power hasn't made sure from the beginning that all manufacturers should open source their kernel code, datasheets etc. - this would have prevented so much e-waste...
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#5With Google's eventual transition to Fuschia OS, the skeptic in me sees this as little more than an easy PR win before they begin to wind down new Android development.
While no one can predict the future, I don't think the success of Fuschia is a given. The transition might open Google up to the usual potential missteps and allow a new competitor(s) to enter the space (hopefully).
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#6I am afraid it does not matter any more, at least not for practical software freedom.
Most Android devices these days have bootloaders that cannot be unlocked, preventing device owners from installing custom kernel images onto their devices. And even if you have a phone where that isn't true, Google's SafetyNet will prevent you from using many crucial applications, like your bank's Android app, on that handset.
It's an awful situation for people who would rather install software provided by a third party onto their hardware (due to not trusting the device manufacturer enough to only include software in their best interest, which is a very reasonable stance in my book), but I don't think there's a way out any more.
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#7I hope they can get SoC vendors onboard. Broken & old BSPs are really tiring, as is waiting for the small user community to slowly upstream all that work. It can take years for the support for a new SoC to mature in upstream Linux. The companies building products upon these SoCs are kinda between rock and hard place, and I think this shows for the user as well (you get old kernel with little to no security updates? it's because you're using a hacked up BSP).
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
But finally this happened. The issue has been around for years. I think (hope) this will dramatically improve the update situation on Android. I wonder though how close Fuchsia is for day-to-day use on current phones
I'm afraid vendor BSPs will be a shit situation for until the end of time, since they are still allowed to ship custom kernel modules - which means when Google updates the kernel, the modules will also have to be reworked (since they live outside of the kernel, they don't benefit from upstream rework effort), and most vendors will take their sorry sweet time to do so or do nothing at all. Really, I don't get why Goog…
Whilst I completely agree with you (alas) and frankly I am not sure I want to see Fuscia succeed (entirely for ideological reasons -- I believe in the value of the GPL) -- this part of you statement has a very clear answer:
> this would have prevented so much e-waste...
E-waste is effectively profit for the device manufacturer. Discarded phones mean that the whole portable computer that is still more powerful than what we had in universities 20 years ago has become worthless and needs to be bought again. It's created an income stream for the manufacturers -- and that's why they're not incentivised to fix these problems. I'm using a OnePlus 5 -- officially EOL and Obsolete! -- with modern LineageOS Rom and it flies. Of course, "official" apps don't like that at all (which is downright stupid of its own reasons), but I have got around that.
I'm sure OnePlus would rather that I threw the thing away and bought another shiny model to get Android 11. Frankly, I'll use it until it breaks and hope that the FairPhone people have caught up by then...
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#9[deleted]
Re: Google shifting to “upstream first” Linux kernel approach for Android features
#10With Google's eventual transition to Fuschia OS, the skeptic in me sees this as little more than an easy PR win before they begin to wind down new Android development.
If it's PR, seems like a lot of effort for a very limited audience