Camera flash and torch LED controllers
A collection of small chips from Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, MediaTek, Richtek and others that drive the high-brightness LEDs used as camera flashes and flashlights ("torch" mode) on phones, tablets, and embedded devices. They handle current regulation and timing so the kernel's LED and V4L2 camera layers can fire the flash in sync with image capture.
recommendation
It should stay in the kernel because this is a live subsystem covering hardware still shipping in 2025, including TI's LM36011 (listed as active and orderable) and Qualcomm PMIC flash blocks that received bugfixes and stable-tagged patches on linux-leds in 2024 and 2025. The flash LED class is documented as a current API and is actively used by camera pipelines, so there is no sign of deprecation.
repository signals
sources
- lore.kernel.org
linux-leds carried a 2025 fix series for `leds-qcom-flash`, showing active upstream maintenance rather than abandonment.
- lore.kernel.org
`leds-qcom-flash` received a 2025 bugfix tagged for stable, indicating current deployed users and ongoing support expectations.
- docs.kernel.org
The kernel documents LED flash handling as an active class API for torch/flash devices and V4L2 integration, confirming this is a live subsystem use case.
- ti.com
Texas Instruments lists LM36011, a Linux-supported flash LED controller family member (`leds-lm3601x`), as ACTIVE and orderable in 2025.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Local shell inspection showed this directory is a bundle of vendor-specific flash/torch LED controller drivers (Qualcomm, TI, MediaTek, Richtek, etc.), not a dead singleton. `lore_activity` on `drivers/leds/flash/leds-qcom-flash.c` returned multiple 2024-2025 fixes/features with stable CC on one patch; no removal/deprecation evidence surfaced from the lore checks attempted. Web search found current kernel flash-LED class docs and TI's ACTIVE LM36011 product page, supporting ongoing real hardware availability. URLs were obtained via `lore_activity` and `web.search_query`; directory composition came from local shell (`rg --files`, `sed` on Kconfig).