Since Android is built on top of the Linux kernel, Android device makers have to provide, upon customer request, the source code for any Linux kernel binaries that ship on their devices. That includes not only the release date software, but also any subsequent updates to the kernel. The availability of such sources allow the modding community to add new capabilities that are otherwise not offered in the stock configuration. Kernel source releases also help developers to port popular custom ROMs (e.g. LineageOS) for the device which, in turn, benefit users who aren’t satisfied with the stock ROM. OEMs like Xiaomi and Motorola maintain a steady track record of releasing these sources and we now have another example of their commitment towards the aftermarket developer community.
In recent days, Motorola has refreshed its official GitHub repo and uploaded kernel sources for the entry-level Moto E7 and the Moto E7 Plus. The internal specifications of the recently released Moto G Play 2021 (code-name: "guamna") are quite close to the Moto E7 Plus (code-name: "guam"), which means the kernel source might be compatible with both of them. Xiaomi, on the other hand, has published sources for the Mi Note 10 Lite, Redmi 9A, Redmi 9C, and the Mi 10 Lite 5G's Android 11 release. Furthermore, the Chinese OEM has updated the source trees corresponding to a bunch of legacy devices, fulfilling its legal obligation of the General Public License v2.
If you’re a developer and you’re interested in building a custom recovery or an AOSP-based ROM, then check out the kernel sources from the table below:
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Sr. No. |
Device, Device Codename, and XDA Forum Link |
Kernel Source and corresponding Android version |
Previous Release |
|---|---|---|---|
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1. |
- |
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2. |
- |
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3. |
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4. |
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5. |
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6. |
- |
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7. |
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- |
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8. |
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Android 9 Pie [Redmi 7A, Redmi 8/8A] |
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9. |
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10. |
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11. |
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12. |
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