Re: Qualcomm firmware patches 64 Android SOCs

Frank Slootweg wrote on 13 Oct 2024 19:42:56 GMT :

Device manufacturers have to use these patches as part of a security
update if they use the affected chipsets in their devices.

It isn't crystal clear whether google play system updates can provide this type of fix, bypassing the manufacturer ...

 I doubt, that system drivers can be updates using Google Play services.
Usually this must be installed as an update of the installed system itself.

   Note that Andy said "Google Play system updates" (case corrections
mine), not "Google Play services". "Google Play services" is the
software framework, i.e. running code. "Google Play system updates"
(note *system* updates) are what is distributed, i.e. 'data' (containing
code). Two different animals.

To his credit, Frank Slootweg is consistently one of the few people on this
newsgroup who have a grasp of the difference in details, especially given
Google marketing names almost everything "Google Play 'something'" due to
inherent brand recognition that marketeers love to employ.
Here is more about Android 15 Project Mainline (i.e., GP "system" updates).
 <https://www.androidheadlines.com/2024/04/android-15-could-update-your-phones-nfc-stack-through-google-play.html>
  "When an update to a Project Mainline module is available,    Google will push an update out to everybody through the    Google Play Store using a mechanism called Google Play System Updates.    Since Project Mainline modules are signed by Google, they can push out    updates to Mainline modules even on devices from other manufacturers."
Notice though that the case sensitivity was mashed up by the author of that
article as Frank has noted the naming & case differences quite nicely.
Unfortunately, nothing about Project Treble (firmware updates) is in that
article, although it says that there are about 40 modules in Android 15.
 

  Google Play system updates (re: Project Mainline) can update system
components. Not sure if that includes drivers, but for generic - not
vendor-specific - drivers, that should be possible, considering Android
is Linux-like under the hood.

Notice this "might" be the mechanism which Qualcomm has been using.
 <https://source.android.com/docs/core/ota/modular-system>
  "Updated Mainline modules can be packaged together and pushed to
   end-user devices, either by Google, using the Google Play system update    feature, or by the Android partner, using a partner-provided OTA    mechanism. The module package installs and rolls back atomically;
   either all modules that need to be updated are updated or none
   are updated."