Can't wait for Google to replace ext4 with F2FS by default in Android. It offers significant speed improvement (~50 percent faster, or even 2x faster in some cases I think). There are a lot of performance improvements built into the new Linux kernels, too, along with 64-bit ARMv8 support, so those will be very welcome, too, if they arrive in Android 4.4.
> More good news is that the "longstanding squabble over Android-specific kernel features has faded completely into the background," the report said. "The much discussed 'wakelocks' [power management] feature has been quietly replaced by a different mainline solution which is used in the latest Android devices."<p>Can someone in the know say what this replacement is?
Seeing so many chip makers up there on the list makes me wonder about the state of Linux drivers. Why is it that Android and Chrome OS and Windows can make drivers actually work, but Linux on laptops will still predictably run hot and drain the battery like crazy?
> Linus Torvalds' creation has expended [sic] to 17 million lines of code.<p>Not to worry: the same code can get used over and over without being consumed.
Microsoft open sourced Hyper V drivers because they were in violation of the GPL ( <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/pigs-are-flying-low-why-microsoft-open-sourced-its-linux-drivers/3433" rel="nofollow">http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/pigs-are-flying-low-why-...</a> ). They just made the most of it afterwards.
I'm glad Linus and many others are reviewing Kernel changes still, but how long will it be before there is nothing stopping massive corporations from deciding what can be changed?<p>And even with all of the experienced eyes, there have to be changes that have crept in that they didn't realize could be misused, and may still not know.<p>I appreciate that corporations are the biggest donators, and that is extremely important, but is there any point in which we say, "Get your own project?"
Is there a break down of what get's worked on by whom?
Would be interesting to see what the hardware manufacturers are doing other than their own drivers. Probably fairer to if we're counting LOC...