[2.6.35 kernel] Alpha: Call for testing (w/o camera)

[Guest errmsg]

caf/android-msm-2.6.35 kernel builds for Acer A1 (Liquid, S100) compatible with 2.2 userspace.

Current status:

Alpha, most of the hardware pretends to work. The only known broken module is camera.

Tested only on 512Mb variant (hw_ver=6) for now.

CAUTION: This kernel is compatible with default partition layouts ONLY. If you have a kernel that overrides the partition information from atag then you can test this kernel only when you revert to the default partition layout. The filesystems will become corrupted if you run this kernel with a modified MTD layout on your device. In other words, use Malez recovery to flash the update archive.

Links:

• Update archive: acer_a1-kernel-2013-07-13-2.6.35.11-g14efe50-update.zip
  
• Debug build with logging to UART console (for serial debugging): acer_a1-kernel-2013-07-13-2.6.35.11-g14efe50-update-debug.zip.
  
• GitHub: android-msm-2.6.35-acer_a1
  
  
  What works:
  • It boots
    
  • It sleeps
    
  • 2D Acceleration
    
  • 3D with Acer FroYo adreno libraries (can hang e.g. with Opera Mobile - bug #28)
    
  • GPS
    
  • 2G/3G internet connection
    
  • Sensors
    
  • LEDs
    
  • Wi-Fi (once - bug #29)
    

  What doesn't:

  The list of issues I am working on is here.

  [*]Camera - bug #26

  You should then see this:

  

  Naming convention:

  All my kernel builds have the following name format: $DEVICE-kernel-$BUILD_DATE-$UTS_RELEASE

  $UTS_RELEASE is set to kernel kernel version and last git commit on that branch with -g prefix. E.g. -g716cfff is a commit "716cfff" and you can see the commit here - https://github.com/r.../commit/716cfff.

  Feel free to ask questions if you want to build a GB+ ROM based on this kernel.

Edited July 13, 2013 by errmsg

[Guest Master_T]

Once again congratulations on your work, really amazing, I must admit I'm envious of your ability. I'm too ignorant to be able to base a new rom on this kernels, I hope someone more knowledgeable than me can make good use of them, maybe basing a new CM 7/9/10 around this.

[Guest errmsg]

I'm too ignorant to be able to base a new rom on this kernels, I hope someone more knowledgeable than me can make good use of them, maybe basing a new CM 7/9/10 around this.

Well, the userspace is not really ready. Once I get the kernel to be stable enough I will start working on a compatible userspace and get Gingerbread CAF/AOSP version to run on the device. After that porting CM7 to Liquid would be much easier.

As always, no ETA.

[Guest Diljeet]

Great news, best of luck guys

[Guest RomzesRover_R]

3D - we need new userspace kgsl drivers (most likely from Liquid Metal)

we can use any drivers for gpu if they for andreno 200

here https://github.com/R...ree/cm10/kernel we use drivers for video and gpu from x10 with almost works of tripple buffering

Edited June 25, 2013 by RomzesRover_R

[Guest errmsg]

we can use any drivers for gpu if they for andreno 200

here https://github.com/R...ree/cm10/kernel we use drivers for video and gpu from x10 with almost works of tripple buffering

Yes, I suppose there are two ways to get 3D working - one is to have Liquid Metal adreno 200 drivers bolted on, another one is to use Sony X10 libraries that are compatible with older 2.6.29 kgsl drivers and revert all the kgsl commit the same way I've done for 2.6.32 (before 2d/3d split - if the device has a /dev/kgsl-3d0 node then that's a newer kgsl driver).

[Guest darkbrain]

we can use any drivers for gpu if they for andreno 200

here https://github.com/R...ree/cm10/kernel we use drivers for video and gpu from x10 with almost works of tripple buffering

Yes, I suppose there are two ways to get 3D working - one is to have Liquid Metal adreno 200 drivers bolted on, another one is to use Sony X10 libraries that are compatible with older 2.6.29 kgsl drivers and revert all the kgsl commit the same way I've done for 2.6.32 (before 2d/3d split - if the device has a /dev/kgsl-3d0 node then that's a newer kgsl driver).

Why not use freedreno ones: http://freedreno.github.io/ ?

I'm just curious, why have you used 2.6.32 and now 2.6.35 kernel versions?

[Guest errmsg]

Why not use freedreno ones: http://freedreno.github.io/ ?

For now it's just a matter of having less tasks on my plate. In case there are no other issues, switching to freedreno may be an option.

I'm just curious, why have you used 2.6.32 and now 2.6.35 kernel versions?

Acer Liquid had 2.6.29 as the only supported kernel version for ages, while FroYo was expected to be on 2.6.32.

During all these years multiple versions of 2.6.29 kernels with imported fixes/changes from newer versions appeared, but they all looked more like Frankenstein-monster types. Backporting new features/fixes from codeaurora was not an easy task.

Bringing relatively stable 2.6.32 version with clearly defined boundaries between codeaurora code and acer devices/hacks was a required condition to continue supporting the device with a newer upstream kernel. It's always easier to have smaller set of changes to maintain and I have already experienced a benefit of running a newer kernel - battery drain of 1% instead of 4-5% an hour when idle was definitely an improvement for me).

There are two versions (2.6.32 and 2.6.39) at once because the issues need to be ironed out first before moving to an unknown land of "2.6.35" for Liquid. FroYo libraries are working fine with 2.6.32 and with 2.6.35 we need a proper Gingerbread build, so that's not a drop-in replacement.

I hope this answers your question.

[Guest Mura88]

Yes, I suppose there are two ways to get 3D working - one is to have Liquid Metal adreno 200 drivers bolted on ...

I don't know if the GPU driver is the same, but Acer liquid metal has an Adreno 205 and not an Adreno 200 ...

[Guest errmsg]

I don't know if the GPU driver is the same, but Acer liquid metal has an Adreno 205 and not an Adreno 200 ...

As far as I know, all Adreno 2xx devices use the same driver.

Fun fact: "adreno" is actually an anagram for "radeon". Qualcomm has purchased the mobile radeon technology from ATi and named it this way.

[Guest errmsg]

Just a quick heads-up - I got MDP composition working on FroYo with copybit from caf/gingerbread and continue to tackle the remaining issues. It looks like X10 drivers is indeed our only hope. I got Liquid MT OpenGL ES drivers to the point where they crash somewhere within the closed source binary and Nexus libraries are prelinked to 3G/1G VM split.

So now I actually run 2.6.35 on my device - my blog post but having no 3D, camera, WiFi, sensors, and top LEDs (the last one is really easy to fix but not there yet) is not much fun.

[Guest Master_T]

Cool, hope you manage to fix all the bugs, you rock man.

[Guest errmsg]

Built a new version with 2.6.32 kgsl and sensors (updated the links in the first post). The only broken modules are wifi and camera, everything else pretends to be working.

Update: need to forward-port i2c recovery sequence. Either smb380 & ms-3c or isl29018 are breaking the bus so the screen stops responding and the phone appears to hang. Serial console still works but that's not really a solution. Liquid Metal has the gravity sensor/accelerometer replaced with ADXL346 and AK8975 so these are my suspects. Figuring out which one won't really help fixing this, though.

Edited July 12, 2013 by errmsg

[Guest errmsg]

Alpha milestone reached. Updated the links in the first post.

[Guest Master_T]

Awesome... one question: did you test battery drain of these kernels compared to stock ones? Is it the same or is it more/less?

Edited July 13, 2013 by Master_T

[Guest thepasto]

Alpha milestone reached. Updated the links in the first post.

I'm really interested to that project.. And i really like your approach!! Congratulations!!

I'd be happy to help so if you need something feel free to ask!

[Guest errmsg]

Awesome... one question: did you test battery drain of these kernels compared to stock ones? Is it the same or is it more/less?

Hello, no real tests were performed for battery drain. While the kernel is working it is not yet as stable as I would like it to be, so any further optimization will be premature at this stage.

OTOH 2.6.32 builds allow me to get through 14 hours of occasional device usage (no wifi, 3G connection only), which was not that reachable with stock .29. With Wi-Fi enabled the drain is enormous on both .32 and .29.

[Guest errmsg]

I'm really interested to that project.. And i really like your approach!! Congratulations!!

I'd be happy to help so if you need something feel free to ask!

Yay, thepasto! Hello!

For now I am concerned with Wi-Fi mmc card failure after reload, 3D lockups with .32 kgsl, being able to use 3D acceleration in GB (I guess i should use X10 kgsl sources, am I correct?) and camera module on FroYo.

Questions:

• Sensors and camera module - was the userspace reverse-engineered or acer's libcamera keeps being used on newer ROMs?
  
• Were there any known issues with acer rild not starting under GB+ - during my attempts to build a caf/GB ROM I had no luck bringing up rild even after reverting the relevant commits. It links the library but that's pretty much all it does.
  
• Is there a canonical source of a CM7 for Liquid?
  

[Guest zabulus]

Tonight new kernel had crashed, I can't provide you additional info, just last_kmsg:

http://pastebin.com/NG17fMcr

BTW, top battery light doesn't blink on charging, only on full charge.

UPD:

Looks like device can fully freeze, for now I don't know conditions for this: first case I've reproduced on sleeped device, it was unable to awake; second case was with using gmail, it freezed completely, only removing battery helped

UPD2:

I'm experiencing "Error" message on the WiFi is turned on.

Kmsg: http://pastebin.com/EEQPrq4X

Logcat: http://pastebin.com/tRD6Djv7

UPD3:

Looks like the USB mass storage from the OS doesn't work. I tap "Turn on mass storage" it begins spinning and drive doesn't mount on the host PC.

Edited July 15, 2013 by zabulus

[Guest errmsg]

Tonight new kernel had crashed, I can't provide you additional info, just last_kmsg:

http://pastebin.com/NG17fMcr

Bug #26 - camera does not work.

BTW, top battery light doesn't blink on charging, only on full charge.

Interesting, will check this.

UPD:

Looks like device can fully freeze, for now I don't know conditions for this: first case I've reproduced on sleeped device, it was unable to awake; second case was with using gmail, it freezed completely, only removing battery helped

I think that is related to 3D device - I can reproduce (bug #28 this reliably in Opera Mobile, but that's a complete lockup - the kernel no longer reacts to anything/prints anything. I will try to merge drivers from X10 instead of froyo ones, but I am afraid I am running out of time.

UPD2:

I'm experiencing "Error" message on the WiFi is turned on.

Kmsg: http://pastebin.com/EEQPrq4X

Logcat: http://pastebin.com/tRD6Djv7

MMC card interface bug (#29), not yet sure where to start.

UPD3:

Looks like the USB mass storage from the OS doesn't work. I tap "Turn on mass storage" it begins spinning and drive doesn't mount on the host PC.

Oh, this looks like a vold update is needed. Will look into this.

Re: the time is running out. I am starting to work full-time tomorrow and I believe I won't have enough time to devote to these kernels. I wish I had the serial debug cable built 2 months ago :), I would not have wasted a couple of weeks debugging the boot issues alone.