I’m sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but why won’t android just straight up run like Linux distros that almost run on any computer? Why does each model under each manufacturers require separate maintainors seperately? Aren’t they running like almost similar hardware like processors from Qualcomm, mediatek, Exynos, etc? Why hasn’t there been a single android os that is compatible with all the device?

  • frankenswine@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    x86 and its descendant 64 bit architecture get hardware initialization and discovery through BIOS, whereas in the ARM world (which is what phones are built in) hardware needs to be described in device trees (DTS) where hardware adresses, chips and drivers are matched

    that’s the simplified, short answer

    • T156@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Does that mean that it is basically impossible to replace the hardware in an ARM Computer because of the mismatches?