r3p2 version of the Mali driver A20

[@lex]

Hi,

I would like to have r3p2 version of the Mali driver for my cb2, and i have followed the sunxi-linux instructions and ended up with r3p0.
i have found the tutorial to use the recent mali r3p2 but i am not sure how to proceed.
I am using sunxi-linux kernel 3.4.103 but i don`t know if it has r3p2 mali driver, can someone help how to get r3p2 compiled?

And how to get mali-r3p2-support branch of the xf86-video-fbturbo xorg?

Appreciate any help.

@lex

[ditma...@gmail.com]

Mali driver are closed source. You can not compile it by your own.

[Siarhei Siamashka]

On Tue, 17 Mar 2015 18:14:59 -0700 (PDT)
"@lex" <alex....@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I would like to have r3p2 version of the Mali driver for my cb2, and i have
> followed the sunxi-linux instructions and ended up with r3p0.

The r3p0 mali driver should provide you with a functional OpenGL ES
implementation.

> i have found the tutorial to use the recent mali r3p2 but i am not sure how
> to proceed.
> I am using sunxi-linux kernel 3.4.103 but i don`t know if it has r3p2 mali
> driver, can someone help how to get r3p2 compiled?
>
> And how to get mali-r3p2-support branch of the xf86-video-fbturbo xorg?
>
> Appreciate any help.

The r3p0 and r3p2 mali binary blobs are a little bit buggy. Moreover,
they are buggy in different ways and require different sets of
workarounds. "Officially" supporting them both would be an extra
hassle. Moving exclusively to r3p2 is not totally painless either.
There needs to be a very good reason to do this work.

--
Best regards,
Siarhei Siamashka

[Dmitriy B.]

Any chances to test r4pX and r5p0 coming from ODROID community?

 

--
Best regards,
Siarhei Siamashka

Best Regards,

Dmitriy Beykun 

[Siarhei Siamashka]

It would be best if we could get up to date Mali binaries from
Allwinner. I suspect that the ODROID blobs have an EULA, which forbids
us to use them.

[@lex]

Sorry if i replied the recipients.

If there is an EULA, would i find it when i install the binaries on their SBC?

[@lex]

I have looked into ODROID r4p0 blobs and headers and did not find any EULA, perhaps it is kept with the sources?

Would be great to catch up with them.

[Henrik Nordström]

ons 2015-03-18 klockan 06:17 -0700 skrev @lex:
> I have looked into ODROID r4p0 blobs and headers and did not find any
> EULA, perhaps it is kept with the sources?

http://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4956

Regards
Henrik

[@lex]

Thank you all,

So, the last hope is what Siarhei Siamashka is suggesting? Any chance this will happen?

BR,

@lex

[Siarhei Siamashka]

On Thu, 19 Mar 2015 05:04:33 -0700 (PDT)
"@lex" <alex....@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thursday, March 19, 2015 at 8:42:32 AM UTC-3, Henrik Nordström wrote:
>
> > ons 2015-03-18 klockan 06:17 -0700 skrev @lex:
> > > I have looked into ODROID r4p0 blobs and headers and did not find any
> > > EULA, perhaps it is kept with the sources?
> >
> > http://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4956
>

> Thank you all,
>
> So, the last hope is what Siarhei Siamashka is suggesting? Any chance this
> will happen?

The "last hope" for what? What kind of *real* problem are you trying to
solve? Why would you expect us going "extra mile" in supporting every
minor proprietary mali blob update?

I have already mentioned in this thread that the r3p0 mali driver,
which is integrated into the sunxi-3.4 kernel sources, works mostly
fine (partially thanks to a bunch of workarounds). It is good enough
for running and/or developing OpenGL ES applications.

Allwinner devices have had a reasonably good OpenGL ES support in
GNU/Linux via the Mali binary blob for roughly two years already
(the installation instructions are available in the linux-sunxi wiki).
In addition, a relatively popular Raspberry Pi board could have been
also used to develop OpenGL ES applications just fine.

The intention was to ensure that when the open source Lima driver
is finally ready, it can run a wide selection of useful OpenGL ES
applications which were to be developed.

[@lex]

Thanks for the answer.

I have r3p0 running as it should, and never said it was not good.

"good enough" is never "good enough" for a developer.

Yes i could go with Raspberry PI board, better support, better community, etc.. but i prefer ODROID and i have my reasons..

Your work is remarkable, indeed.

The *real* problem is i want to have linux all the bells and whistles Android have for this platform, my bad.

But..but..but why you so upset? I did not want to start a war, was just a question.

Kind Regards,

@lex

[Siarhei Siamashka]

On Mon, 23 Mar 2015 08:13:46 -0700 (PDT)

> Thanks for the answer.
>
> I have r3p0 running as it should, and never said it was not good.
> "good enough" is never "good enough" for a developer.

OK.

> Yes i could go with Raspberry PI board, better support, better community,

Well, this "better support" thing is very much subjective and
stereotypical.

> etc.. but i prefer ODROID and i have my reasons..
> Your work is remarkable, indeed.
>
> The *real* problem is i want to have linux all the bells and whistles
> Android have for this platform, my bad.

I'm not sure if I'm a big fan of abstract bells and whistles. I very
much prefer practical utility. And I would be happy to have reports
like this:

"I'm developing this very cool open source OpenGL ES game (or
application) and it runs with X FPS using the r3p0 mali drivers,
but can be improved to Y FPS with the r3p2 mali drivers"

Instead of

"I don't like the version number of your mali drivers. The other
guys have it bigger, so you really need to catch up"

> But..but..but why you so upset? I did not want to start a war, was just a
> question.

I'm not upset. I'm just explaining why I'm not eager to waste my time
doing work, which has no clear purpose.

The ball is basically on the OpenGL ES application developers' side.
Before nitpicking about the drivers, they really need to show their
commitment by contributing something useful to the free software
community. Today the drivers are in a *much* better shape than the
applications.

[@lex]

There are some people interested in getting this updated, although this is not a trivial task.

Kernel is tuned to server side, and the author has not seen any success story yet, as a learning pourpose i will try and see if i can get to somewhere.

https://github.com/dan-and/linux-sunxi

[Andrew Kosteltsev]

Mali Binaries for development xf86-video-fbturbo you can find here http://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4956
I have tested the kernel from https://github.com/dan-and/linux-sunxi.git branch dan-3.4.106 revision e3d32800b32c468edd976f111987d1b429c9ef0b
with xf86-video-armsoc from endlessm (as I remember). arm soc doesnt works. xf86-video-mali works and I have managed to start X server with this driver.
BUT all GL programs starts, draws one or two black frames and exactly stops!

I think if you as a specialist with X11 drivers and Mali GPU can provide us new version of your best xf86-video-fbturbo which supports r4p0.

If you interest I can to remember versions of kernel and libUMP (r4p0 driver in kernel can be build with/without UMP support)

Best Regards,
Andrey K.


среда, 18 марта 2015 г., 12:13:05 UTC+3 пользователь Siarhei Siamashka написал:

[@lex]

Thanks for the info.

I am afraid of not having the expertise to accomplish this, but is good to know more people are interested in getting this working.

If i get further than what you have i post in here the results.

[Siarhei Siamashka]

On Wed, 25 Mar 2015 08:17:00 -0700 (PDT)
Andrew Kosteltsev <koste...@gmail.com> wrote:

> среда, 18 марта 2015 г., 12:13:05 UTC+3 пользователь Siarhei Siamashka
> написал:
> >
> > On Wed, 18 Mar 2015 11:50:20 +0300
> > "Dmitriy B." <rzk...@gmail.com <javascript:>> wrote:
> >
> > > 2015-03-18 11:36 GMT+03:00 Siarhei Siamashka <siarhei....@gmail.com

> > <javascript:>>:

> Mali Binaries for development xf86-video-fbturbo you can find here
> http://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=4956

As their EULA says, we are not allowed to use these binaries:

"Hardkernel hereby grants Licensee a limited, non-exclusive,
non-transferable, irrevocable, restricted right to use the Software in
object code form only on the Computer System solely for the purpose of
developing application software for Hardkernel devices using the
Samsung Exynos 4412 System-on-a-Chip."

> I have tested the kernel from https://github.com/dan-and/linux-sunxi.git
> branch dan-3.4.106 revision e3d32800b32c468edd976f111987d1b429c9ef0b
> with xf86-video-armsoc from endlessm (as I remember). arm soc doesnt works.
> xf86-video-mali works and I have managed to start X server with this driver.
> BUT all GL programs starts, draws one or two black frames and exactly stops!

Why don't you ask dan-and about how this mali driver is supposed to be
used?

> I think if you as a specialist with X11 drivers and Mali GPU can provide us
> new version of your best xf86-video-fbturbo which supports r4p0.

You can try the old experimental r3p2 branch, it might or might not work
with r4p0 mali blob:

https://github.com/ssvb/xf86-video-fbturbo/commits/mali-r3p2-support

> If you interest I can to remember versions of kernel and libUMP (r4p0
> driver in kernel can be build with/without UMP support)

I'm not really interested. Please understand me right, I just don't
have time to waste on doing something that has very little or no
practical value.

[Siarhei Siamashka]

On Wed, 25 Mar 2015 05:26:08 -0700 (PDT)

> There are some people interested in getting this updated

It's not enough to be casually interested in a bigger version number.
These people should show up in the mailing list and provide more
convincing reasons. Just see my previous reply.

> although this is not a trivial task.

The kernel part is reasonably simple. Because, you know, it's fully
open source. You can have a look at this branch:

https://github.com/ssvb/linux-sunxi/commits/20140116-mali-r3p2-01rel2

It is split into 3 patches to make things clear and maintainable:

1. Just an unmodified copy of the GPL mali kernel driver from ARM
2. The sunxi adaptation part (mali hardware resources description and
the code for enabling clocks).
3. A 2GB bugfix which is needed for the Cubietruck

Anyone can do something similar with a newer version of the mali kernel
driver if the need arises.

> Kernel is tuned to server side, and the author has not seen any success
> story yet, as a learning pourpose i will try and see if i can get to
> somewhere.
> https://github.com/dan-and/linux-sunxi

It is up to dan-and to provide full support for this code and resolve
any possible mali issues in it. I have nothing to do with it.

[@lex]

When i said "the last hope" i meant to get the binaries for the r4p0 from Allwinners (or perhaps from Cubietech).

It is not legally to use it from ODROID.

[Alexander]

i mean "ILLEGAL to use"!

[@lex]

Sorry if i made it unclear and worse (core dump! :) ), "The use of ODROID binaries is not legal for this platform" . Forgive me.