Speaker
Description
Since the introduction of the first Samsung DSI panel, the Linux DRM panel API has been a crucial piece of software for enabling displays across diverse architectures, but it has not evolved alongside modern graphics stacks. Currently, the API lacks atomic DRM API support and the ability to adapt power setups during mode changes. Furthermore, it fails to support advanced Display Driver IC (DDIC) features that modern hardware heavily relies on, including:
- Standby and advanced power states
- Advanced color management
- Dynamic rate switching
- Command mode self-refresh
This lack of evolution has led to severe fragmentation between upstream and vendor downstream trees for advanced devices support, creating a heavy maintenance burden and making native hardware support incredibly difficult.
The goal would be to outline these architectural limitations and trigger a discussion on how to collaboratively modernize the panel API. By standardizing advanced DDIC capabilities and fully embracing the atomic DRM API, we hope to establish a unified path forward for the entire Linux community.