898959 - B2G: Add a switch to enable/disable the Qualcomm Adreno Profiler support in the GPU drivers.

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox OS Graveyard :: Gaia::Settings, defect)

Description

[Douglas Crosher [:dougc]]

Recent Qualcomm GPU drivers include support for the Qualcomm Adreno Profiler.  It appears to be possible to use this on some B2G devices by 'setprop debug.egl.profiler 1' and restarting B2G.  Perhaps it would help developers if a settings switch were added to enable and disable this property and report the status.

https://developer.qualcomm.com/mobile-development/mobile-technologies/gaming-graphics-optimization-adreno

It appeared to be necessary to restart B2G in order for the GPU drivers to create the required TCP port listener.  Once this listener has been created the Adreno Profiler could connect to the device from an attached Windows desktop PC and much of the functionality appeared to work.

There is also a setting for the OpenCL drivers if these are ever used, namely: 'setprop debug.cl.profiler 1'

This has been tried using a Nexus 4.  For Android 4.2 the GPU drivers needed to be upgraded with more recent versions available Qualcomm, and the 23 April Jelly Bean driver was used, available at: https://developer.qualcomm.com/mobile-development/mobile-technologies/gaming-graphics-optimization-adreno/tools-and-resources

Android 4.3 appears to bundle the updated GPU drivers, and once B2G is based on 4.3 it might work without the need to upgrade any libraries.

Should probably consider the security implications of having an open TCP port that allows access to screen.