linux-drivers/
drivers/gpu/drm/panfrost

Panfrost open-source driver for Arm Mali Midgard and Bifrost GPUs

Open-source graphics and compute support for Arm Mali Midgard and Bifrost mobile GPUs, the integrated graphics found in many Arm system-on-chips from the mid-2010s onward — including Rockchip, Amlogic, Allwinner, and Renesas parts powering Chromebooks, single-board computers like Pine64 and Radxa Rock, set-top boxes, and embedded devices.

keep conf=0.92 deploy=medium replacement=none subsystem=gpu category=graphics-display
92%

recommendation

It should stay because Panfrost is the actively maintained, community-built open-source driver for Arm Mali Midgard (T6xx/T7xx/T8xx) and Bifrost (G3x/G5x/G7x) GPUs, with steady upstream development (around 184 substantive commits and 48 contributors in the last five years). The hardware is still shipping in new 2025-era products, including Renesas RZ/G2L industrial MPUs and Rockchip RK3568 boards like the Radxa Rock 3A, and no other in-tree driver covers these GPUs.

repository signals

25 files
7,713 source lines
191 commits, 5y
+4,262 / −1,678 lines added / removed, 5y
54 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 191 total · active in 49/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 2 commits · +19 −0 2021-05: 2 commits · +1 −1 2021-06: 23 commits · +953 −521 2021-07: 2 commits · +3 −2 2021-08: 9 commits · +58 −87 2021-09: 3 commits · +27 −13 2021-10: 0 commits · +0 −0 2021-11: 6 commits · +27 −19 2021-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-01: 4 commits · +33 −211 2022-02: 4 commits · +16 −7 2022-03: 2 commits · +24 −18 2022-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-05: 9 commits · +53 −21 2022-06: 3 commits · +4 −4 2022-07: 3 commits · +302 −26 2022-08: 1 commit · +27 −17 2022-09: 1 commit · +11 −0 2022-10: 2 commits · +23 −23 2022-11: 3 commits · +20 −14 2022-12: 1 commit · +20 −28 2023-01: 1 commit · +2 −1 2023-02: 2 commits · +15 −28 2023-03: 6 commits · +76 −1 2023-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-05: 2 commits · +21 −16 2023-06: 2 commits · +0 −3 2023-07: 1 commit · +2 −1 2023-08: 3 commits · +23 −7 2023-09: 5 commits · +261 −16 2023-10: 3 commits · +4 −11 2023-11: 10 commits · +173 −38 2023-12: 3 commits · +91 −23 2024-01: 1 commit · +9 −4 2024-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-03: 3 commits · +46 −51 2024-04: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-05: 1 commit · +1 −1 2024-06: 2 commits · +11 −0 2024-07: 1 commit · +1 −1 2024-08: 3 commits · +76 −14 2024-09: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-10: 1 commit · +0 −1 2024-11: 2 commits · +6 −1 2024-12: 2 commits · +1 −2 2025-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-02: 1 commit · +11 −9 2025-03: 10 commits · +205 −20 2025-04: 3 commits · +63 −19 2025-05: 9 commits · +388 −32 2025-06: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-07: 4 commits · +8 −10 2025-08: 1 commit · +1 −1 2025-09: 4 commits · +345 −44 2025-10: 13 commits · +332 −263 2025-11: 0 commits · +0 −0 2025-12: 8 commits · +420 −10 2026-01: 2 commits · +26 −16 2026-02: 2 commits · +23 −22 2026-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. docs.kernel.org

    Upstream kernel documentation identifies Panfrost as the DRM driver for Arm Mali GPUs and documents active user-facing functionality.

  2. git.kernel.org

    Kconfig defines Panfrost as support for Arm Mali Midgard (T6xx/T7xx/T8xx) and Bifrost (G3x/G5x/G7x) GPUs.

  3. renesas.com

    Renesas still markets active Linux-capable MPUs with Mali-G31 graphics, indicating supported Panfrost-class hardware remains in new embedded designs.

  4. radxa.com

    Radxa still sells RK3568-based SBCs with Mali-G52 GPUs, another Panfrost-supported deployment class still available new.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Recommendation is keep: the prompt's repo metrics already show strong current upstream attention (184 substantive commits in 5y, latest 2026-02-03, 48 authors). `lore_file_timeline` on the directory path returned zero events, which I treat as a path-coverage blind spot rather than inactivity. A follow-up `lore_regex` removal scan timed out, and no concrete removal evidence was found. Scope was confirmed from kernel docs/Kconfig (web search result plus canonical kernel.org recall). Current deployment evidence comes from vendor pages found via web search showing active 2025-era Mali-G31/G52 products, so this is not legacy-only hardware. No natural in-tree replacement covers the same Midgard/Bifrost job-manager GPUs.