linux-drivers/
drivers/gpu/drm/ast

ASPEED AST server BMC graphics

The simple 2D VGA and DisplayPort output built into ASPEED's AST server management controllers (AST2500, AST2600, AST2700, AST2750), which provide the basic console graphics seen on the local VGA port and the remote KVM video of essentially every modern x86 and Arm server. The hardware is still being shipped in new servers in 2025.

keep conf=0.94 deploy=medium replacement=none subsystem=gpu category=graphics-display
94%

recommendation

It should stay in the kernel because ASPEED still ships these graphics blocks as part of the AST2600, AST2700, and AST2750 BMC chips that go into new servers in 2025, and the upstream driver is being actively developed, with cursor-buffer work and review activity on AST2600 hardware as recently as late 2025 and early 2026. There is no replacement driver and no deprecation discussion in sight.

repository signals

26 files
8,150 source lines
276 commits, 5y
+10,419 / −8,031 lines added / removed, 5y
30 authors, 5y
monthly commits · 2021-04-21 → 2026-04-21 · 276 total · active in 51/61 months
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2021-04: 3 commits · +129 −42 2021-05: 1 commit · +17 −1 2021-06: 2 commits · +2 −3 2021-07: 3 commits · +97 −38 2021-08: 1 commit · +1 −1 2021-09: 1 commit · +10 −19 2021-10: 1 commit · +1 −17 2021-11: 1 commit · +1 −2 2021-12: 6 commits · +190 −173 2022-01: 2 commits · +4 −3 2022-02: 10 commits · +373 −219 2022-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-04: 1 commit · +524 −8 2022-05: 2 commits · +51 −9 2022-06: 5 commits · +70 −46 2022-07: 2 commits · +4 −5 2022-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2022-09: 4 commits · +95 −20 2022-10: 10 commits · +279 −302 2022-11: 2 commits · +1 −1 2022-12: 2 commits · +3 −1 2023-01: 2 commits · +1 −18 2023-02: 6 commits · +235 −241 2023-03: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-04: 1 commit · +5 −4 2023-05: 1 commit · +29 −45 2023-06: 15 commits · +331 −270 2023-07: 3 commits · +127 −35 2023-08: 0 commits · +0 −0 2023-09: 1 commit · +6 −0 2023-10: 12 commits · +303 −283 2023-11: 12 commits · +600 −435 2023-12: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-02: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-03: 13 commits · +188 −236 2024-04: 6 commits · +50 −28 2024-05: 0 commits · +0 −0 2024-06: 9 commits · +155 −110 2024-07: 6 commits · +137 −131 2024-08: 13 commits · +792 −761 2024-09: 16 commits · +289 −303 2024-10: 2 commits · +4 −0 2024-11: 1 commit · +1 −1 2024-12: 1 commit · +0 −2 2025-01: 26 commits · +906 −787 2025-02: 8 commits · +553 −406 2025-03: 11 commits · +109 −90 2025-04: 1 commit · +1 −1 2025-05: 2 commits · +43 −28 2025-06: 2 commits · +1 −2 2025-07: 10 commits · +2,587 −2,271 2025-08: 6 commits · +65 −153 2025-09: 14 commits · +799 −353 2025-10: 9 commits · +127 −55 2025-11: 3 commits · +96 −55 2025-12: 1 commit · +17 −5 2026-01: 0 commits · +0 −0 2026-02: 3 commits · +9 −11 2026-03: 1 commit · +1 −1 2026-04: 0 commits · +0 −0

sources

  1. aspeedtech.com

    ASPEED still markets AST2600/AST2700/AST2750 BMC parts with integrated PCIe 2D VGA in 2025-era product lineup, indicating ongoing new hardware sales.

  2. aspeedtech.com

    AST2600 product page lists a PCIe 2D video graphics adapter and DisplayPort 1.1a, matching the AST DRM driver's hardware scope.

  3. spinics.net

    A November 26, 2025 AST patch series adds imported cursor-buffer support and says it was tested on AST2600 hardware, showing active upstream development on real hardware.

  4. mail-archive.com

    A March 2026 AST review thread shows continued upstream cleanup and review activity in the driver, not removal work.

  5. cateee.net

    LKDDb shows CONFIG_DRM_AST remains present through 7.0-rc+HEAD for ASPEED PCI display devices 1a03:2000/2010.

codex reasoning notes (technical)

Local shell inspection (`rg`) showed a real PCI DRM driver with ASPEED-specific code paths including AST2600 and DisplayPort handling; local `git -c safe.directory=... log` showed recent substantive AST commits through 2026-03-30. Web search was then used to obtain the cited ASPEED product pages, LKDDb entry, and recent dri-devel archive threads. Lore MCP/`lei` were unavailable here, so archive pages found via web search were used as the closest public-mail evidence; those searches surfaced maintenance patch series and no removal/deprecation discussion. Because AST graphics remains part of currently sold ASPEED BMC/server chips and the same upstream driver is actively maintained for those chips, there is no natural replacement driver and removal/deprecation is not indicated.