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2013 Nexus 7 factory image and binaries available for download

Posted: , by Michael H.

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2013 Nexus 7 factory image and binaries available for download
There was a bit of a delay, and quite an uproar in the Android Open Source Project community, but the factory image and binaries for the new Nexus 7 have finally been released by Google. There was trouble around the release, and while we never got the whole story, it seemed to be something to do with Qualcomm not wanting its GPU to be too open. 

Apparently, there were lawyers involved, and the trouble was so bad that it led to Jean-Baptiste Quéru to quit his position with AOSP. This wasn't the first time that Qualcomm had caused problems with releasing factory images and binaries for a device, as there was also trouble with the Nexus One and the Nexus 4 (both running Snapdragon chipsets). 

Whatever the issue was, it seems that it has been sorted out because the factory image for the new Nexus 7, codenamed "razor", and the binaries have been released for download. That means you can flash your device with a clean stock ROM if you need to, and it also means that work can begin in earnest to build custom ROMs for the new Nexus 7.

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posted on 09 Aug 2013, 18:46
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1. kozza3 (Posts: 715; Member since: 17 Oct 2012)


so, who's up for a SOC startup that is completely open-source and community funded?

posted on 09 Aug 2013, 19:10
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2. TylerGrunter (Posts: 1543; Member since: 16 Feb 2012)


Alreay on the works for the drivers at least:
http://freedreno.github.io/
But I doubt there is a company that can put the money for an open-source SOC.
Not that I would not like to see it!

posted on 09 Aug 2013, 19:18 1
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3. yowanvista (Posts: 341; Member since: 20 Sep 2011)


At some point there will always be some intellectual property involved, especially if you're designing something which uses an architecture already covered and protected by patents. But of course, it would be feasible if you design a SoC from scratch, the various buses and IC layouts at the silicon level, a new architecture and everything else while detailing every single part of the project. But then anybody could steal your design if don't protect them by closing off parts of it or restricting it by licensing your IPs just like ARM.

posted on 09 Aug 2013, 21:01
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5. kozza3 (Posts: 715; Member since: 17 Oct 2012)


greed is our downfall...

posted on 09 Aug 2013, 22:29
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6. AMDPhenomX4 (Posts: 48; Member since: 06 Apr 2013)


Intel will surprisingly be very good for developers with their new 22nm mobile platform. Intel actually has open source Linux graphics drivers for the GPU they will put in it.

posted on 09 Aug 2013, 20:55
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4. sprockkets (Posts: 1611; Member since: 16 Jan 2012)


So did Jean go back to work :)

posted on 09 Aug 2013, 23:50
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7. JGuinan007 (Posts: 692; Member since: 19 May 2011)


No he quit that project but yet still works for Google

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