How much really cost to 'enable' the graphic acceleration [on <=N810]? - maemo.org

ciroip | # 1 | 2009-04-25, 20:05 | Report

I read something around and seem Nokia didn't release any driver to utilize the OpenGL/ES on <=N810 tablets.
Was the decision based on licenses costs? If yes anyone know how much money was involved? Per processor/unit sold? A unique really expansive license fee 'per' model? 'Per' platform? 'Per' producer?

Jaffa | # 2 | 2009-04-25, 21:27 | Report

Most of the known info is contained here:

http://wiki.maemo.org/Drivers_justification
and http://wiki.maemo.org/Talk

rivers_justification

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ciroip | # 3 | 2009-04-26, 10:30 | Report

Oh, ok, I knew only the 1st of the 2 links: pretty interesting.
So seem is 'just' a Maemo conflict problem but if this is the case how the situation is different for next tablet generation?
Does not Maemo already have 'binaryonly' parts? (wifi and something at the higher level?). Seem everyone have these drivers (pandora, android, iphoneos, windowsmobile) but at the same time is impossible to find them. I can understand Nokia don't really like the idea to have something unofficial on the tablet looking better than the official develop branch but I don't see any reason why TI should be pissed about

.
Anyway seem everything pretty settle down and long debated long time before I ever thinked to buy my tablet.
I hope when the new tablet will arrive (CES2010?

) the driver will be automagically avaible.
Thak you Andrew for pointing me to those wikipages

GeneralAntilles | # 4 | 2009-04-26, 14:41 | Report

The driver situation for OMAP3 is not the same as OMAP2. The drivers for OMAP3 are available in the alpha SDK.

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icebox | # 5 | 2009-04-28, 17:45 | Report

imho, since n8x0 will not be supported in freemantle we will get in the place where 770 is today. Beloved devices which will be abandoned in favour of the newer, faster devices. Sure, some of us will still use them, maybe with mer or debian breathing some new life into them... but I don't see nokia and or ti going over the complications of releasing drivers to the comunity for a platform that's no longer of interest to them. We got our two promised updates to the n810 (granted nobody mentioned they'll be minor

), nothing to see here, move along.

GeneralAntilles | # 6 | 2009-04-28, 18:02 | Report

Originally Posted by icebox View Post

imho, since n8x0 will not be supported in freemantle we will get in the place where 770 is today. Beloved devices which will be abandoned in favour of the newer, faster devices. Sure, some of us will still use them, maybe with mer or debian breathing some new life into them...

Mer is what Nokia has blessed as the OMAP2 backport. By providing support to Mer, they're providing support for existing OMAP2 devices.

Originally Posted by icebox View Post

but I don't see nokia and or ti going over the complications of releasing drivers to the comunity for a platform that's no longer of interest to them. We got our two promised updates to the n810 (granted nobody mentioned they'll be minor

), nothing to see here, move along.

Quim has already mentioned that Nokia is working to get drivers for the community.

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qgil | # 7 | 2009-04-28, 20:39 | Report

> How much really cost to 'enable' the graphic acceleration [on <=N810]?

A lot. Probably more than the <=N810 users are willing to pay if we are talking about an official and stable release.

The situation is tricky because of the changes between OMAP2 and OMAP3, the licensing required, the stability of that software, the difficulties to find someone able to work on that legacy software...

The topic is still under discussion and both companies are trying to find the way to provide these drivers to the Maemo community free as in B&S. But getting to any conclusion will take still some time.

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Stskeeps | # 8 | 2009-04-29, 14:37 | Report

Originally Posted by qgil View Post

The topic is still under discussion and both companies are trying to find the way to provide these drivers to the Maemo community free as in B&S. But getting to any conclusion will take still some time.

Not sure if this can contribute towards a possible solution, but from Mer project point of view following solutions could work:

Ideal for Mer (based on principles in our work-in-progress "Vendor social contract"*):

(* vendor social contract largely inspired by the open attitude by Nokia when dealing with the tablet devices.)

* Open source kernel driver like in Fremantle - not stuck at 2.6.21
* Closed source GL libraries (like in Fremantle), distributed by token repository from maemo.org, authenticated by your N8x0 MAC address, agree to EULA, and you get a repository line / .install file you can add to your installation and/or download pre-made firmware images containing the closed bits.

To the N8x0 users worrying Mer won't be OSS, there's always the option to download a Mer image without the closed bits without EULA, MAC auth, etc. This won't ever change - the pre-made images are just the open image and closed bits mixed together, for end-user appeal.

Workable scenario, but restricts our end-user out-of-box experience appeal:

* Open source kernel driver like in Fremantle - not stuck at 2.6.21
* Closed source GL libraries (like in Fremantle), distributed by token repository from Nokia, where you authenticate with your MAC (that you're a N8x0 users), agree to EULA, and you get a repository line / .install file you can add to your installation

The Not So Ideal scenario:
* Closed source kernel driver - we're stuck at 2.6.21, which is obviously not good and there might be legality issues?
* Closed source GL libraries
* Only downloadable through a system of EULA, and MAC authentication for only N8x0 users, ideally through a token repository like with nokia-binaries in Fremantle, either on maemo.org or from Nokia.

Idealistic scenario (but probably very unrealistic in the current hardware climate) (B&S)

* Open source kernel driver (it would be stupid to get stuck to 2.6.21)
* Open source GL libraries

Last edited by Stskeeps; 2009-04-29 at 17:38.

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mobiledivide | # 9 | 2009-10-14, 06:54 | Report

I found this blog post on Planet about TI releasing the graphics drivers

http://mobiletablets.blogspot.com/20...-graphics.html

Is this what the Mer guys were hoping for?

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