
Samsung releases Galaxy S II ICS source code - jhack
http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-releases-galaxy-s-ii-ics-source-code-20120319/
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angusgr
Download is still going, but isn't this just the standard GPL parts - ie
kernel & some libraries?

( _EDIT: it is indeed just the GPL parts_.)

In which case, can someone explain how it's really newsworthy? Samsung have
been exemplary in all their GPL compliance for all their Android releases to
date.

 _open source code ROM builders and other modders will be able to do more
advanced ports and advanced ROMs._

Well, now they can build with the latest kernel instead of the Gingerbread
kernel, but does that really make much difference to anything else? Are there
outstanding kernel bugs in the Gingerbread releases, or new kernel features
that ICS AOSP needs to run?

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Xuzz
The bigger question, to me, is what drivers are included. Many of the chips in
all these phones do not have specifications freely available or community-
built drivers. Does this include, say, the GPU driver? Or is that still a
binary blob that has to be (usually illegally) copied from the device's built-
in software?

~~~
angusgr
The Mali (GPU) kernel module source is there, but not the proprietary userland
libraries. So the situation is as you say.

(AFAIK the only Android manufacturer to secure binary distribution rights for
GPU drivers was Google with the PowerVR GPU in the Nexus One, and that
download comes with heavy restrictions - only for Nexus One, only for Android,
do not redistribute, etc. I don't know why GPU manufacturers are so paranoid.)

That said, I don't really know the S2 but I'm fairly sure the Mali GPU
libraries and the baseband are the only closed components in the EXYNOS
platform. So it could be worse :/.

~~~
rys
We're not paranoid; that resistribution restriction on our driver didn't come
from us (I work for PowerVR). As a rule of thumb, it's the device or SoC
vendor that calls those shots and controls redistribution.

~~~
throwaway1111
I interviewed once for a graphics driver programming position for Imagination
Tech. (who own PowerVR) and my impression was that they were indeed absolutely
paranoid about open source. The first thing the guy had a go at me for was my
pretty meager contributions to open source. Apparently this was a solid
indicator that I would give out all the company secrets!

~~~
rys
If the interviewer had a problem with your open source contributions then I'm
sorry, since that really shouldn't be any problem for us whatsoever. There is
absolutely no feeling at the company that open source equals the leak of
secrets, and I find it hard to believe your story because of that.

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wyclif
As an Android user, I do not want the TouchWiz overlay. I want the pure,
unadulterated ICS UI goodness. Why doesn't Samsung "get it"? (Don't answer
that).

~~~
huggyface
You're a hacker purist. Most consumers are not. Many actually like the
features that Touchwiz brings.

It's actually interesting in that "pure, unadulterated" Android has very
heavily borrowed from Sense UI, TouchWiz, and Motoblur. Those custom skins
were what really helped move the platform forward.

~~~
commandar
I don't know. As somebody that was a day-one G1 customer, I think the
influence of Mattias Duarte coming on board has had far more impact on the
platform than any of these OEM skins. You can see the influence of Duarte's
previous work at Palm _all over_ ICS, far more so than any of the custom
skins.

What I _have_ certainly seen is manufacturers breaking baked-in functionality
on Android trying to differentiate themselves. Moto managed to break both
manual Exchange configuration and Facebook sync on my Droid 4, for example.
It's not like those are obscure functions nobody uses.

~~~
estel
I'm not sure in which update you're referring to Facebook sync being "broken",
but this was purposefully removed from stock by Google in Android 2.3.3.

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jsight
This is really good news. I just hope the article is correct and this can
actually be modded fairly easily for T-Mobile(T989) and AT&T phones.

