Open source graphics driver for ARM

The lack of accelerated graphics for X applications has been a very big issue. Linux on the Raspberry Pi and the Mele A1000 uses the kernel framebuffer driver for X, which is dumb and does not make any use of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Except, in the Raspberry Pi there are some apps that use the GPU for video playing.

Anyway, something, apparently, is about to change:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTE0MDA

'cnxsoft' at http://www.cnx-software.com/ thinks that it will be the Mali drivers from ARM, that are currently proprietary. Those drivers are partly GPLed and it makes good sense for them to make the drivers fully GPL.

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Comments

GPL RP GPU?
Username: BarryK
Ha ha, the latest guess is that the imminent announcment of a GPL GPU driver, is not for the Mali but related to the Raspberry Pi. The reasoning is based on the picture in this link: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTE0MDA ...the name of the beer is "Framboise", which cnxsoft reports means Raspberry in French!

XBMC 4 MeLe 1000
Username: ted dog
"wonder if it was this announcement of a beta version. Been snooping the developers chatlogs for the last few weeks and saw this coming quicker than expected. Hope we can WOOF out a puppy version for the accelerated X windows using NEON. and the motion sensor appears to been unlocked. in the android preview.

VPU part of GPU
Username: ted dog
"Looks to be the distinct part for ARM video processing unit will be GPLed soon at least the vpu used in Raspberry. Hardware that handles decoding multiple types of video streams. Also CedarX progress appears to be just around the bend.

Tags: general