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diff --git a/posts/2017_02_replicant-6-0-development-updates.md b/posts/2017_02_replicant-6-0-development-updates.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7675a50 --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/2017_02_replicant-6-0-development-updates.md @@ -0,0 +1,109 @@ +date: 2017-02-01T18:18:27+00:00 +title: Replicant 6.0 development updates +authors: Wolfgang Wiedmeyer +tags: Replicant news, Wolfgang Wiedmeyer +licenses: CC-BY-3.0 OR CC-BY-4.0 +--- +Replicant 6.0 is moving forward and quite some work has been done over the +last months. + +## Galaxy S2 + +Only the Galaxy S3 was supported for a very long time. Recently, [support for +the Galaxy S2 was added][1]. This was made possible because two community +members, Grim Kriegor and dllud, sent me a device. The initial work on the +device by another community member, Jookia, also gave me a head start for the +port. + +## GTA04 + +In December, I attended the [8th Open Hard- and Software Workshop][2] which +was a great opportunity to discuss and work on various topics related to the +GTA04. I assisted Lukas Märdian from Goldelico with porting Replicant 6.0 to +the GTA04 and at the end of the workshop, we were able to boot Replicant 6.0 +and had basic functionality working. Lukas continues to work on the port and +I'm planning to integrate his changes and get Replicant 6.0 ready for the +GTA04. + +## Support for external WiFi dongles with the AR9271 chipset + +After you have installed Replicant on one of the supported devices, you will +notice that WiFi doesn't work. The reason is that the WiFi chips on all +supported devices need a proprietary firmware to be loaded onto the chip. As +Replicant only ships free software, this firmware is not included in an image. +An alternative is to use an external WiFi dongle with an USB OTG cable. A free +firmware exists for the AR9271 chipset and various WiFi adapters use this +chipset. [Tehnoetic provided patches][3] for initial support in Replicant 4.2. +For Replicant 6.0, I went a different way and backported the necessary changes +from the 3.4 Linux kernel to the kernel for the Galaxy S2 and S3. Such dongles +are now operable with these two devices. Fil Bergamo is working on scripts to +make it easy to use WiFi adapters. You can find more information in [this +forum thread][4]. + +## Graphics rendering + +[ The previous blog post ][5]already metioned that I'm working on the graphics +acceleration. Mesa llvmpipe can now be used as an alternative to the Android +software renderer. Unfortunately, llvmpipe is still too slow and the Android +software renderer stays the default graphics renderer for now. But it's +possible to use some more apps like Firefox-based browsers with llvmpipe that +wouldn't work with the Android software renderer. Llvmpipe also makes it +possible to use a recent webview. For now, Replicant 6.0 is stuck with the +last webview version that worked with the Android software renderer. +Optimizing llvmpipe for ARM likely would make it fast enough. Any help in this +regard would be greatly appreciated! +Another long-standing issue is related to the software rendering: QR code +scanning or in general barcode scanning didn't work with Replicant because the +software renderer requires a camera preview format that is incompatible with +barcode scanner apps. I was able to fix it by doing the neccessary conversions +of preview frames that are requested by barcode scanner apps. + +## Toolchain + +I moved the build system from Debian Jessie to the upcoming Debian release +with the codename Stretch. The Debian Android Tools team has packaged quite a +few more build tools in Stretch which can now be used instead of prebuilt +binaries from the default Android toolchain. The whole effort makes the +Replicant build process more trustworthy and ensures that all build tools are +verifiable and built using only free software. + +## Security/privacy enhancements + +Besides fixing various bugs, I'm especially committed to making Replicant more +secure. Originally, I started contributing to Replicant by submitting patches +for known security issues in Replicant 4.2. Security updates for the kernel +and the Android system are included in Replicant 6.0 as quickly as possible, +but delays can always happen due to various reasons. Furthermore, I started to +include some security/privacy enhancements from CopperheadOS. + +## Current work and future plans + +Porting Replicant 6.0 to more devices is a priority right now. Besides devices +that are already supported by Replicant 4.2, some new targets are evaluated. +An interesting target is the LTE variant of the Galaxy S3 (GT-I9305). +Currently, only the non-LTE variant (GT-I9300) is supported by Replicant and +Replicant doesn't support any 4G-enabled phone yet. It's possible to build a +Replicant 6.0 image for the LTE variant, but it lacks support for the modem. +The main task of the port will be to write a free implementation of the modem +interface for telephony, SMS and mobile data. +I also played with the mainline kernel on the Galaxy S3 and I was able to boot +Replicant 6.0 on top of the Linux 4.8 kernel with a few patches so that it was +usable with very limited functionality. I will share more results from this +endeavor in the future. +Replicant is based on CyanogenMod 13.0. As the CyanogenMod project was +discontinued, future Replicant 6.0 versions will be based on its successor, +LineageOS 13.0. + + [1]: <http://redmine.replicant.us/boards/21/topics/14009> + + [2]: <http://www.ohsw.org/> + + [3]: +<https://git.replicant.us/tehnoetic/kernel_samsung_smdk4412/commits/ath9k_htc> + + [4]: +<http://redmine.replicant.us/boards/9/topics/13932?r=14005#message-14005> + + [5]: <http://blog.replicant.us/2016/08/replicant-6-early-work-upstream-work-and-f-droid-issue/> + + |