linux-drivers/
drivers/remoteproc

Remoteproc framework for SoC auxiliary processors

A generic Linux framework that loads firmware onto and controls the secondary processors embedded alongside the main CPUs in heterogeneous SoCs: Cortex-M4/M7 microcontrollers, DSPs, Cortex-R5 real-time cores, TI PRUs, and Qualcomm Hexagon ADSP/CDSP/modem subsystems found in NXP i.MX, TI K3, Qualcomm, ST, MediaTek, and Xilinx parts.

keep conf=0.95 deploy=high replacement=none subsystem=remoteproc category=infrastructure
95%

recommendation

It should stay in the kernel because remoteproc is an actively maintained framework, not a single-device driver, and it underpins boot and lifecycle control for the small auxiliary cores found in nearly every modern application SoC. Upstream development is ongoing into 2026, and silicon vendors including NXP, Qualcomm, TI, ST, MediaTek, and Xilinx still ship new chips that depend on it.

repository signals

51 files
30,177 source lines
576 commits, 5y
+14,937 / −7,282 lines added / removed, 5y
140 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 576 total · active in 59/61 months
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sources

  1. lore.kernel.org

    Upstream remoteproc core development is active in 2026; recent non-removal feature work touched core code.

  2. docs.kernel.org

    Remoteproc is a generic Linux framework for controlling heterogeneous remote processors in modern SoCs, with platform-specific drivers layered underneath.

  3. nxp.com

    A current NXP i.MX 8M Plus product is marked active and includes Cortex-M7 and DSP-class auxiliary processors, indicating remoteproc-class hardware remains in new products.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

`drivers/remoteproc` is an active subsystem driver directory, not a dead single-device leaf: local `exec_command` inspection of Makefile/Kconfig shows current support for NXP i.MX, MediaTek SCP, Qualcomm ADSP/CDSP/MPSS/WCSS, STM32, TI K3/PRU, Xilinx R5, etc. `lore_file_timeline` on `drivers/remoteproc/remoteproc_core.c` showed sustained activity through 2021-2026 and a recent April 14, 2026 feature series, with no removal evidence surfaced in-budget. Kernel docs URL was obtained via `web.open`; NXP product URL via `web.search_query`. Because remoteproc covers still-current heterogeneous SoCs and has strong upstream churn, this should be kept rather than deprecated.