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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The ELC North America 2017 Amlogic talk is a historical status report on bringing Amlogic SoCs into upstream Linux. It places GXBB support in Linux 4.7 and GXL/GXM support in Linux 4.10, while identifying display, audio, GPU and video-acceleration work that was still unfinished. The ODROID-C2 is the community board most clearly associated with hands-on experimentation.
What the ELC North America 2017 talk covers
Neil Armstrong of BayLibre presented “Mainline Linux on AmLogic SoCs” at Embedded Linux Conference North America 2017. The presentation explains where Amlogic upstream support stood at that time, which subsystems had landed, and where developers still needed to contribute.
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“Mainline” means support accepted into the standard Linux kernel rather than a board vendor’s private downstream tree. That distinction matters: a chip can boot with a vendor kernel while still lacking the drivers, device-tree descriptions or subsystem integration expected from upstream Linux.
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“BayLibre develops and maintains the AmLogic kernel upstream, along with community contributions.”
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- Rich IO: 40 Pin GPIO Header (USB, I2C, I2S, UART, ADC etc) 8-ch I2S for Microphone Array application (over M.2 Connector) MIPI-DSI MIPI-CSI Designed with GPIO Extender Chip
— Neil Armstrong, BayLibre
Which Amlogic families are discussed?
The talk lists Amlogic chips used in set-top boxes, tablets, televisions and projectors. Its 64-bit discussion centers on the GX generation, but it also names earlier and related families.
| Family | How it appears in the 2017 presentation | Linux status stated in the talk |
|---|---|---|
| GXBB | One of the principal 64-bit GX SoCs | Support had landed in Linux 4.7 and later releases |
| GXL | 64-bit GX family member | Support reported in Linux 4.10 |
| GXM | 64-bit GX family member | Support reported in Linux 4.10 |
| GXTVBB | Newer 64-bit family named by the presentation | Not stated in the talk |
| TXL | Newer 64-bit family named by the presentation | Not stated in the talk |
| AML8726, M8, MX, S8, M6, T8 and T9 | Older Amlogic families listed for context | Not stated in the talk |
“Not stated” means the presentation does not provide a milestone for that family; it is not a claim that no Linux support exists.
GX capabilities described in the presentation
The following are specifications presented in 2017 for the GX family, not a current product specification sheet. Exact features vary by SoC variant.
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| Area | Specification described by the talk |
|---|---|
| CPU | Four or eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores, up to 1.5 GHz+ |
| GPU | Mali-450 or Mali-T820, depending on the variant |
| Display | HDMI 2.0a with 4K HDR support |
| Video decoding | Hardware H.264, H.265 and VP9 decoding, including 10-bit VP9 |
| Video encoding | H.264 hardware encoding |
| USB | USB 2.0 host and device operation |
Linux mainline milestones in the 2017 snapshot
The presentation describes a progression from minimal early support to usable upstream coverage for the GX family.
| Kernel release | Milestone identified in the talk |
|---|---|
| Linux 4.7 | GXBB support had landed. |
| Linux 4.8 | Clock rework, a random-number generator driver and infrared support were named as milestones. |
| Linux 4.9 | PWM, I2C and SPI-flash-controller work were named as milestones. |
| Linux 4.10 | GXL and GXM support was reported, alongside work covering MMC, SCPI power management, DRM display and USB. |
These are historical kernel-version milestones from the conference talk. They should not be read as a guarantee that a current distribution, board image or peripheral will behave identically today.
What was working upstream?
Storage and board management
MMC support was part of the upstream work described for the GX platforms. SCPI (System Control and Power Interface) support enabled power-management functions, including dynamic voltage and frequency scaling.
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- Neural Network Accelerator: NPU: Supports a maximum frequency of 800MHz at 5.0 TOPS INT8 inference up to 1536 MAC Internal L2 cache (512KB) and system workspace buffer (1MB) Supports all major deep learning frameworks including TensorFlow and Caffe
- Maker Friendly: Stackable Design Programmable MCU 3 Programmable LEDs (Blue, Red and White) XPWR for external Power button Onboard SPI Flash Khadas TST Khadas KBI
- Business Applications Dual independent displays with GSensor H.264 / H.265 Encoding Supports multi-video decoding up to 4Kx2K@60fps+1x1080P@60fps VIN Power Input
- Rich IO: 40 Pin GPIO Header (USB, I2C, I2S, UART, ADC etc) 8-ch I2S for Microphone Array application (over M.2 Connector) MIPI-DSI MIPI-CSI Designed with GPIO Extender Chip
Display and USB foundations
DRM display support and USB work were among the areas reported as progressing into the 4.10-era support set. This provided the kernel framework needed for graphics output and common USB peripherals, but did not mean every display feature or device combination was complete.
General-purpose I/O
The talk records clock, random-generator, infrared, PWM, I2C and SPI-flash-controller milestones across Linux 4.8 and 4.9. These additions are important because a board can be technically bootable yet remain difficult to use without ordinary buses, timers, storage and input support.
What remained unfinished?
MMC performance modes
MMC DDR and HS200/HS400 optimization were still listed as work in progress. Basic storage support and maximum storage throughput are separate questions; the latter depends on controller drivers, signal tuning, board wiring and the kernel version.
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GPU and Mali integration
Mali integration remained an active area. A functioning display controller does not automatically provide complete 3D acceleration, so desktop rendering and accelerated applications could still depend on unfinished or separate graphics work.
HDMI, PHY and CEC
The HDMI controller and physical-layer drivers, along with CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), were still being developed. That leaves room for differences in hot-plug detection, television control, signal modes and other HDMI behavior even when a basic picture appears.
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Overlay planes, cursor planes and scaling were identified as incomplete. These features affect compositing efficiency, hardware overlays, cursor handling and the ability to resize or combine video and graphics without relying entirely on the CPU.
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Audio paths
Broader audio coverage was still under development. HDMI video output therefore should not be treated as proof that every audio route, codec or consumer-electronics configuration was supported.
Hardware video acceleration through V4L2
The project was still working toward a V4L2-based approach for hardware video acceleration. The GX chips’ advertised H.264, H.265 and VP9 decoding capabilities were hardware features; exposing them cleanly through upstream Linux was a separate driver and API task.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you run Linux on an ODROID-C2?
Historically, yes: the presentation specifically identifies the ODROID-C2 as a community board people used to hack on Amlogic Linux, and cites OpenELEC, LibreELEC and Kodi running on these platforms.
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— Neil Armstrong, BayLibre
That statement establishes the board as a practical 2017 development target, not a promise about a current image or every peripheral. For a present-day project, verify the exact board revision, kernel and distribution before buying or flashing anything.
Practical checks before starting
- Identify the ODROID-C2 revision and the Amlogic SoC it uses.
- Check the current distribution or kernel documentation for a maintained board image and boot process.
- Confirm how the image is written to the chosen boot medium and whether its bootloader requirements match the board.
- Test storage, USB, networking, display and audio independently; support for one subsystem does not prove support for the others.
- Expect GPU acceleration and hardware video decoding to require separate verification rather than assuming that the SoC’s hardware blocks are fully exposed by Linux.
What the 2017 record can—and cannot—tell you
- It can tell you that Amlogic upstream work was real and active, with concrete GXBB, GXL and GXM milestones in Linux 4.7 through 4.10.
- It can identify the subsystem areas BayLibre and contributors were addressing: MMC, power management, DRM, USB, clocks, infrared, PWM, I2C and SPI flash.
- It can show why a board such as the ODROID-C2 became a useful community target.
- It cannot establish current kernel support, current distribution images, present hardware availability, modern performance, or the status of families for which the talk gives no milestone.
For those current questions, consult documentation for the exact board, SoC and kernel you intend to use; the conference material is a 2017 snapshot.
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