All of these must be compiled ( CONFIG_ARM64=y ). 32-bit user-space binaries can still call into these drivers via ioctl , sysfs , or netlink.
Why? In 2016, Android was still transitioning from 32-bit to 64-bit. To maintain compatibility and reduce memory footprint, OEMs shipped MSM8953 devices with 32-bit userspace (android32) but a 64-bit kernel. This hybrid approach haunts modern developers.
Let’s demonstrate a simple virtual character driver for MSM8953 on ARM64. This logs the CPU architecture at insmod time. msm8953 for arm64 driver
CONFIG_QCOM_GCC_8953=y CONFIG_PINCTRL_MSM8953=y
The community is highly active, with patch series submitted daily to the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML), focusing on camera enablement, GPU frequency scaling, and regulator fixes for these devices. All of these must be compiled ( CONFIG_ARM64=y )
The MSM8953 features a highly symmetrical CPU architecture and a robust peripheral subsystem, making its hardware driver ecosystem predictable yet complex.
Drivers for accelerometer, gyro, proximity (e.g., BMI160, LSM6DS3) are in-kernel and architecture-independent. In 2016, Android was still transitioning from 32-bit
: This is the essential driver for EDL (Emergency Download Mode) , used to unbrick or flash devices using tools like QFIL or MiFlash .
uart@78af000 compatible = "qcom,msm-uartdm-v1.4", "qcom,msm-uartdm"; reg = ; interrupts = ; clocks = <&gcc GCC_BLSP1_UART2_APPS_CLK>; ; Use code with caution. Mainline vs. Vendor Drivers