path: root/HOWTO_releasenotes.txt

p. Linaro releases monthly binary images for the ARM "Versatile Express":http://www.arm.com/products/tools/development-boards/versatile-express/index.php including support for A9, A5, A15 (TC1), TC2 (big.LITTLE) CoreTiles and RTSM.

p. For support matters related to ARM hardware or firmware images downloaded from ARM sites, please contact "ARM support":mailto:support@arm.com

p. This release includes Linaro Android Jelly Bean and Ubuntu Precise Pangolin for Versatile Express and Real-Time System Model ("RTSM":http://www.arm.com/products/tools/software-tools/ds-5/rtsm-simulator.php). The images are able to boot A5 (using U-Boot), A9 (ATAGS), TC1 and TC2 using UEFI. Sources are also made available so you can build your own images.

h2. About the TC2 Evaluation Build

The TC2 CoreTile is the first example of a big.LITTLE system shipped by ARM and serves as a platform for development and test of big.LITTLE software. TC2 contains a tri-core Cortex-A7 cluster and a dual-core Cortex-A15 cluster linked using the CCI–400 coherent interconnect.

The release integrates big.LITTLE development work which can be traced in the big.LITTLE MP working group "git repo":http://git.linaro.org/gitweb?p=arm/big.LITTLE/mp.git;a=summary . The integration branch present in 12.10 is big-LITTLE-MP-v9 which includes:

Scheduler modifications to support big.LITTLE
** per-task-load-average-v3-fixed: Paul Turner’s patches enabling the calculation of load on a per-task basis.
** task-placement-v2: Morten Rasmussen’s patches using the per-task load to schedule threads on the big or LITTLE cores as appropriate.
*New:* The patches now take into account multiple domains when making decisions on task migration, with ftrace events added for tracking these migrations.

Hot-plug improvements. The aim of this sequence of improvements is to speed-up and make consistent the time taken to hot-plug cores.
** per-cpu-thread-hotplug-v3-fixed
** cpu-hotplug-get_online_cpus-v1
** rcu-hotplug-v1

Cluster and asymmetric system support
** arm-asymmetric-support-v3-v3.6-rc1 - uses arch_scale_freq_power function to reflect the relative capacity of each core
** arm-multi_pmu_v2 - enables the use of multiple PMU types or sources, for example profiling across both Cortex-A15 and Cortex-A7 clusters. *New*: Bugfixes and patch restructuring
** arm-multi_pmu_v1 - enables the use of multiple PMU types or sources, for example profiling across both Cortex-A15 and Cortex-A7 clusters.
** scheduler-misc-v1 - miscellaneous scheduler patches complementing the MP work

Platform Support. In addition to the big.LITTLE MP work the TC2 platform support includes
** CPUidle & CPUfreq support
** hwmon driver allowing, amongst other things, TC2's power, current andepatnergy measurements to be read through standard sysfs interfaces
** Common clocks implementation
** Regulator driver
** Drivers for previously hard-coded configuration interfaces
** Support self-hosted debugging through idle
** In addition to the CPU PMUs the perf framework supports the CCI-400 PMUs
** Misc fixes in this release
*** safely handle missing CPU frequencies
*** MMC Multi-Block fix
*** amba-clcd Device Treee mods
*** HDLCD fixes

p. This release also adds support for saving the self-hosted debugger setup when a CPU goes through a low power state, where hardware breakpoints are not preserved, and restoring the setup when the CPU is brought
back online.

p. Additionally, support for CPU PMUs present in big.LITTLE systems has been integrated into the kernel, with the framework now also supporting system PMUs. CCI-400 PMUs are the first example
implementation that is using the framework.

p. SCHED_HMP patches for scheduler have now been updated to take into account multiple domains when making decisions on task migration, with ftrace events added for tracking these
migrations.

h2. Where To Find More Information

More information on Linaro can be found on our "website.":http://www.linaro.org/

h2. Feedback and Support

Subscribe to the important Linaro mailing lists and join our IRC channels to stay on top of Linaro development.

** Linaro Android Development "mailing list":http://lists.linaro.org/mailman/listinfo/linaro-android
** Linaro Android IRC channel on irc.freenode.net at @#linaro-android@

* Bug reports should be filed in Launchpad against the individual packages that are affected. If a suitable package cannot be identified, feel free to assign them to "Linaro Android project":http://bugs.launchpad.net/linaro-android/+filebug.
* Questions? "ask Linaro":http://ask.linaro.org/.
* Interested in commercial support? inquire at "Linaro support":mailto:support@linaro.org

h2. Fixed in this release

Details of each item can be found by searching for the issue number (without the #) "here":https://bugs.launchpad.net

Android bugs:

* "LP: #1051993":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1051993 RCU stall on TC2

UEFI bugs:

* "LP: #1029844":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1029844 UEFI: A5/A9/A15 aren't supported in latest code
* "LP: #1029854":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1029854 UEFI: TC2 port only boots with 1 CPU
* "LP: #1036228":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1036228 UEFI: A9 does not pass command line to kernel when booted  with device tree
* "LP: #1050364":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1050364 UEFI: TC2 does not boot with big.LITTLE kernel features enabled
* "LP: #1053343":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1053343 UEFI: TC2 does not support OSPM

h2. Known Issues

h3. UEFI Bugs:

* "LP: #1028319":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1028319 UEFI: vexpress A5 crashes on boot
* "LP: #1067784":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1067784 UEFI: A9 crashes on boot with Device Tree
* "LP: #1067780":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1067780 UEFI: TC1 is unstable when booted via UEFI
* "LP: #1067715":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1067715 UEFI: booting A9/A5/TC1 via Boot Monitor fails
* "LP: #1029848":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1029848 UEFI: device tree is global, not per image
* "LP: #1028319":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1028319 UEFI: vexpress a5 crashes on boot
* "LP: #972623":https://launchpad.net/bugs/972623 UEFI: vexpress A9: flash to address zero
* "LP: #942162":https://launchpad.net/bugs/942162 UEFI: vexpress A5 & TC1: No LCD/HDLCD support
* "LP: #942155":https://launchpad.net/bugs/942155 UEFI: copy/paste doesn't work over serial port
* "LP: #941995":https://launchpad.net/bugs/941995 UEFI: Don't require UUID for MMC cards

h3. Android Bugs:

* "LP: #1067376":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1067376 Android doesn't boot on RTSM A15x1-A7x1
* "LP: #1067373":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1067373 Keyboard and mouse input doesn't work on RTSM Android
* "LP: #906363":https://launchpad.net/bugs/906363 vexpress: ICS: No thumbnails in gallery application
* "LP: #906344":https://launchpad.net/bugs/906344 vexpress: ICS: Suspend-Resume doesn't work
* "LP: #900714":https://launchpad.net/bugs/900714 Camera App does not work on ICS
* "LP: #872819":https://launchpad.net/bugs/872819 Unable to play Angrybirds game on ICS, App opens but does not show proper game menu
* "LP: #987197":https://launchpad.net/bugs/987197 Testing calendar app requires Exchange server
* "LP: #987172":https://launchpad.net/bugs/987172 vexpress: YouTube video playback fails
* "LP: #987155":https://launchpad.net/bugs/987155 vexpress: Angrybirds display severely trucated
* "LP: #893175":https://launchpad.net/bugs/893175 vexpress: ADB over USB doesn't work
* "LP: #893127":https://launchpad.net/bugs/893127 vexpress: No sound in Android
* "LP: #890601":https://launchpad.net/bugs/890601 Missing GL ES 2.0 drivers, unable to run GLMark2 benchmark
* "LP: #1041153":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1041153 lockdep error on Android reboot
* "LP: #1042755":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1042755 TC2: powertop doesn't show correct frequency stats
* "LP: #1037611":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1037611 logcat showswarnings for "add_tid_to_cgroup failed"
* "LP: #973466":https://launchpad.net/bugs/973466 Can't build Thumb-2 kernels
* "LP: #908082":https://launchpad.net/bugs/908082 vexpress: Video playback fails in Gallery app
* "LP: #873283":https://launchpad.net/bugs/873283 Taking device screenshot using ddms tool fails

h3. Generic Landing Team Bugs:

* "LP: #1068595":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1068595 Enabling function tracer hangs the system on TC2
* "LP: #1065633":https://launchpad.net/bugs/1065633 Can't access CCI on RTSM
* "LP: #893185":https://launchpad.net/bugs/893185 vexpress: USB mass storage doesn't work