Xiaomi Releases Kernel Source For Redmi 4A After One And A Half Years, Sources For Redmi 5 & 5A Also Released

When it comes to releasing kernel sources, Xiaomi is as slow as molasses at times. Xiaomi released the Redmi 4A in November 2016, and now after nearly eighteen months, the Chinese company has released the kernel sources of the device.

Kernel sources help developers in building stable custom ROMs, recoveries and custom kernels. However, official kernel sources aren't an essential requirement for building ROMs. The Redmi 4A already has many ROMs which have been built using MIUI's kernel. I had a chat with one of the developers for Redmi 4A, Ataberk Özen, regarding the challenges he faced in developing for the Redmi 4A without the kernel sources. Özen told me that since kernel sources weren't available, he had to use the prebuilt kernel (MIUI's kernel) for building the device tree. Özen added on that he referred to Redmi Note 4's device tree to further stabilize the device tree for the Redmi 4A.

The prebuilt kernels can only be used for the Android versions they were built for. That means the Android 7.1.2 kernel in MIUI for the Redmi 4A can only be used for building Nougat based ROMs. Now that the kernel sources are out, development for Oreo 8.0 - which the Redmi 4A is unlikely to get officially - is possible for the Redmi 4A. In fact, Özen has already started working on it.

Just like the Redmi 4A, the Redmi 5A also has several ROMs which have been built using the kernel shipped with MIUI. The Redmi 5A was launched in October 2017 in China, and a month later the handset made its way to India. The Redmi 5 was released in December 2017.

The official kernel sources for the Redmi 4A, Redmi 5 and Redmi 5A will help in expanding the development of these devices. You can find the kernel sources for the devices at the GitHub link in the source. If you intend to keep up with the development of these devices, I would recommend joining their Telegram groups using the links below.

Telegram group for Redmi 4A
Telegram group for Redmi 5A

Source: GitHub

Krittin Kalra

Krittin Kalra is a 20 year old Android freak. Striving for passions, chasing down his dreams and living a life without regrets is his sole mantra. A bit moody, he also does custom ROM reviews for AndroGuider. Currently pursuing his B.Tech, he aspires to follow his heart.