Hi, On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 12:00:27 +0200 Simos Xenitellis <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi David, > > Thanks for doing this and taking things forward! > > On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 9:54 PM, David Lanzendörfer > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi > >> Javqui is not referring to the GPU but the VPU (Video). CedarX. > >> MPEG-1/2, H.264, DivX, etc. > >> > >> Besides the opened part from PowerVR is sadly one of their > >> publication stunts. http://libv.livejournal.com/. And when the PR > >> department gets confronted with their own BS, they give you the > >> silence treatment > >> > >> The only one thing I can say is PowerVR is poison. They don't even > >> bow to Intel, Search for Poulsbo. > > I know it very well since I already have run Linux on Intel Atom > > CloverTrail platform and on BayTrail. > > > > At http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTg4Mjg it > mentions that Intel is doing Linux work on the PowerVR VXD392 VPU (as > is used on Baytrail). > Is the VPU similar to what exists on the A80?
What is a VPU?, wikipedia says that a VPU is another term for GPU. And at the end this is huge confusion, that make people believe that for have hardware accelerated video playback is a requirement to have and use the GPU. This is wrong, it come from the fact that in the PC(x86) world are used graphic cards that are actually are (gpu + display engine + video codec engine), so this is 3 kind of difference hardware types put together in this some called graphic card. As this graphic card is one identity, it is usually all handled by the same software driver. In ARM case this is not the case, http://www.cnx-software.com/2013/12/10/most-embedded-gpus-do-not-support-hardware-video-decoding-acceleration-the-vpu-does/ Please lets use a more correct term, that creates no ambiguity of what we are speaking about. Video Codec Engine, is the correct name for this type hardware in the sunxi(allwinner) case. This is the hardware to use for decoding and encoding of video codecs. And in sunxi, sometimes called also "cedar engine" and it is the *same* Video Codec Engine in all allwinner socs. A10/A10s/A13/A20/A23/A31/A31s/A33/A80/A80T/A83T/H3/H8 (with some minor and or new feature hardware versions) How do i know? >From the kernel source code make available from allwinner. To the best of what could be found, this Video Codec Engine is a custom design made by www.chipsbank.com for allwinner. And this makes believe that is allwinner propriety and only used in allwinner socs. > > Regarding the older SoCs in the A series, it is important to have a > view whether there will be effort to support the VPU on Linux. Did you already hear of libvdpau-sunxi? do you know what it is? It is 100% open source, vdpau driver for this video codec engine by the means of reverse engineering. http://linux-sunxi.org/Cedrus http://linux-sunxi.org/CedarX/Reverse_Engineering Of course the work is not ended, this is only a workaround and the plans to move and to make a proper driver that has the chances to be mainlined is here: http://linux-sunxi.org/VE_Planning > I have the impression that it would greatly benefit boards like the > Banana Pi, the OLinuXinos, the Cubieboards, etc. I agree, but where is the support? The support to the people that are working to make possible to have a proper mainlined driver for this video codec engine. > > >> So open GPU Drivers for A80, is not going to happen. It didn't > >> happen for Intel Atom, it didn't happen when the FSF made it a > >> priority project. Besides the A80 will not exist long enough. > > The A64 might have the same GPU as well... So it's not about making > > an A80 specific driver but a generic control for Rogue. > > Besides. Poulsbo at least initializes with linux-next. > > > >> If Allwinner is interested in FOSS gpu drivers, which they should > >> be, they'd better support the Lima, Etnaviv, etc. projects. > > It doesn't support 4K high resolution video... > > It doesn't crash on regular basis either though. > > But the regular Mali just doesn't provide enough performance for > > these high end purpose this A64/A80 is intended for... > > I think at some point of time Allwinner will accomplish what FSF > > ist just talking about, just because Allwinner wants to have more > > spare time by streaming up as many drivers as possible -_- > > > > It makes business sense to be open and I think it is healthy to align > with the FSF > goals because it's also good for business. > The field of SoC manufacturers gets somewhat saturated, > and those that will get open first, will probably capture the market. > > Simos > -- thanks for reading. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "linux-sunxi" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
