Is GKI a good news for Ubuntu Touch Porting

[waitlamp]

Google tried to slove kernel fragmentation problem on Android.

any devices Pre-installed Android 12 and Kernel 5.10 from the factory must use GKI (generic-kernel-image) kernel

I've read about GKI in the news before

Google's Todd Kjos talked today during Linux Plumbers Conference (LPC2021) around their Generic Kernel Image initiative. With Android 12 and their Linux 5.10 based GKI image they have further cut down the fragmentation to the extent that it's "nearly eliminated". With the Android 12 GKI, most of the vendor/OEM kernel features have now either been upstreamed into the Linux kernel, isolated to vendor modules/hooks, or merged into the Android Common Kernel.

and I heard some devices like pixel 6 , tab s8 / S22u etc. have used GKI kernel. （they are Pre-installed Android 12）

Will GKI kernel reduce the difficulty of future porting efforts?

[MrT10001]

Sounds like a good idea. The problem is vendor BLOB's which are supplied a lot by OEM's to the manufacturers which basically stop a generic UT install (as an example Apple won't even allow swapping of parts between the same type of phones).

[sanath.usk 0]

@waitlamp I don't think so.I feel it should help IT in the long run.

[Keneda]

@mrt10001
Those blobs are now out of the kernel with GKI.
They are in separate modules, and vendors must make them compatible with AOSP LTS kernel.

So you can make a generic way of doing UT ports, and even, i guess, update kernel with AOSP LTS one, or blobs modules during android device life, without doing UT port from scratch everytime.

I assume too that if android structure doesn't change in future between major updates, installind UT on those devices, let say an "halium 12" UT port on an android 13 updated from 12 device, will be possible without downgrading to 12.

I may be too optimistic but the actual kernel mixup is a real problem and i believe causes the most of UT ports issues.