[Request] [Jolla Tablet] Use open drivers friendly hardware for the Jolla tablet [answered]
asked 2014-11-20 21:28:08 +0200
Intel SoC with Intel GPU is already a good basis, but there are still a lot of components which can be affected - accelerometer, touch screen, WiFi and etc. Please use hardware components which have open drivers (may be except for firmware which is common in WiFi and etc. but is isolated from the driver) to enable running a fully open glibc Linux stack on the tablet without dependencies on Android closed blobs.
UPDATE:
According to @Stskeeps, Jolla won't be using Intel Mesa / KMS driver and stock kernel for the tablet. They'll use Android closed blobs from Intel with libhybris (which implies Android kernel as well). The reason for that is supposedly insufficient performance offered by the Mesa / KMS Intel driver. He didn't provide specific details on what exactly the shortcomings of the open Intel driver are, except saying that "Mesa / KMS driver is in its infancy". Any additional details about this mater are welcome.
But besides the point, if hardware would allow it, community can at least try producing version with open drivers and stock kernel without libhybris to compare performance. With time Intel open driver will improve more and more, so at some point it should hopefully offer enough performance.
Very good idea, yes.
juiceme ( 2014-11-20 21:53:11 +0200 )editYes , I completely support Shmerl's proposal. Intel is also famous for supporting FOSS by giving Open Source drivers. It would be a great move on part of Jolla to the free software community if it uses Open drivers which could be exploited by sailfish instead of the using the android blobs. Atleast there could be a choice to select "pure open drivers + Glibc" as a choice which would be a gift and "awesomeness" which give the extra edge for the tablet which many in free software community would wish for.
pavi ( 2014-11-20 22:34:37 +0200 )editYes, please, totally agree and wish that Jolla Tablet will have a hw that can run true #Linux distro in it without droid-blobs or libhybris.
foss4ever ( 2014-11-21 03:41:45 +0200 )editIt would be a great plus having the possibility of installing any regular linux distro (debian, fedora, arch, etc.) Nowdays it's pretty hard finding a decent tablet with linux support. Please, take this into account!!!
opensas ( 2014-11-21 06:08:03 +0200 )editIntel seems to have the best free GPU drivers. Using "android" kernel with blobs is absolute nonsence with existing such quality intel mesa drivers (with OpenGL >=4.2 expected available in two or three months). If I knew it earlier, i wouldn't support this tablet. (Not to mention buying Microsoft's exFAT license for 300 000$ of our money). In such case it is better to buy native android tablet.
Displacer ( 2014-12-05 18:33:31 +0200 )edit