Android terminal: Hints of GPU acceleration
Hidden GPU option discovered: Android is apparently testing acceleration for Linux apps. The experimental feature offers potential for developers.
Android bugdroid before smartphone.
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New indications of GPU acceleration for Linux applications have surfaced in a recent Canary version of Android. As Android Authority reports, build 2509 contains a previously hidden option called "Graphics Acceleration", which is intended to enable a switch from the familiar CPU-based renderer (Lavapipe) to a GPU-accelerated variant.
The function apparently refers to gfxstream, a framework documented in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) that can forward graphics commands from a virtual environment directly to the host GPU. In this way, Linux programs could be displayed much more smoothly under Android in the future – for example with graphics-intensive tools or applications with a GUI.
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However, the function was not yet ready for use in the practical test: Although the hidden switch could be activated, actual GPU acceleration did not occur. There has also been no official confirmation or details whether and when the new feature will be included in a stable Android version.
Nevertheless, the findings indicate that Google is working on making the Linux terminal on Android more powerful in the long term – possibly as part of a strategy to open up Android more to classic desktop and developer scenarios. However, until concrete information or stable implementations are available, GPU acceleration remains an experimental feature with an unclear timetable.
(nb)
