Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

Yes, I've had devices like that and am well aware of the problems with this. This is also one reason we're actively trying to open source what we can of the N900 stuff (before MeeGo, there was even no open source telephony stack), but let's face it - there's too much money in embedded still. There's much to be gained from hardware manufacturers such as ImgTec(SGX) and others to keep their IPR/source closed.

I won't go into N8x0, 770 as the situation is much worse there than on the N900. On N8x0, BME, GPS, Battery charging, WiFi is closed source.

I can't help but wonder - If you want a fully open platform, why did you buy a device that has known hardware components that only has support for it through closed source binaries?

At least our kernel has no closed source modules.

My stance is that well-maintained closed source redistributable binaries are better than none at all. And even with those binaries, we actively try to see what we reasonably can get open sourced.

Redistributable SGX drivers (libraries) were a win, compared to the crap situation before.

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

Thank you for opening this thread as a more specific part of the problem abill_uk is pursuing.

Well the reason is as you put it at the other place:
"I did not do my homework" :D

Seriously, I've made extreme effort to obtain 770 ( I bought it in Berlin) since at that time I really thought it was the platform the Nokia Champions (you know those guys with fancy blogs, nice glasses, traveling around, giving lectures, being mostly silent or defensive now) branded as open source.

The flash and similar third party garbage was not of interest to me. You know, nobody bothered to tell us: there are some closed source bits.
So I've decided not to develop anything for a closed platform, and used it since as common consumer.

I've bought N810 because I had to replace 770, and nothing on the market was close to the form factor and features. It was already considered obsolete by many, since the maemo5 talks have started.

When your Mer project appeared I was hopping to join it, but it ended before that.

So that is the short sad story.

Now, I do have the worthy alternatives, but prefer to keep my n810 in working condition as long as possible.

Having OSS drivers would be great in order to have other distros instead of aging maemo.

The additional interest is to bring the topic to be noticed by the people who are being "teased".

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

This is useful information, which even if you did post before got lost because of various other "contributions". Are we to imply from this that improved drivers exist? If so, how far do these drivers go to fixing the vsync and playback-framedrop problems?

From the point of view of a distictly amature graphics programmer, it would be good to know is how available these updated drivers are: can they be/are they ready to be installed by users and application (not OS) developers. And, are they accompanied by headers for us to create our own (?redistributable/oss) software?

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

A user only needs to use the OpenGL ES headers as the SGX driver binary blobs include the closed source userspace OpenGL ES implementation from the hardware vendor.

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

Yes, I meant are these SGX blobs new, are they available and do they fix the graphics bugs that have been widely experienced and equally widely discussed?

As an aside, if the graphics system was less buggy, when the N900 was still on general release, I wonder: might there be an armv7-deb version of flash 10?
- guess we'll never know.

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

vsync works in the MeeGo N900 drivers. I've tried to backport the kernel side to 2.6.28 without any success. 2.6.37 will -NOT- work on Maemo5.

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

Indeed. Backporting this far back was always going to be unlikely.

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

Wait-- we're entitled to nice glasses??? :eek:

I wish FN would post all of the perks publicly... :mad:

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

I had a moment of hope when I read the first post. Oh well, thank you for clarifying. Guess that's it then: no chance of fully working graphics/properly implemented GLES on this device?

Re: Open source hardware drivers for Nokia tablets problematics
 

I am sorry to hear you did not manage to grab your own pair of glasses. :eek: You understand off course who are the people getting targeted by this. :D

In their defence: nobody is immune to the glory. In this respect nokia has allowed people really involved in project to gain their share of publicity. Usually, in corporations, people like Steve Jobs and Mad-pig-Ballmer get the attention. :mad:

Back to open source drivers...