RPMsg remote-processor messaging bus (Qualcomm GLINK/SMD, MediaTek SCP, virtio)
A messaging framework that lets the main Linux CPU talk to auxiliary processors built into modern system-on-chip designs, such as the audio/sensor/modem coprocessors found in Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek Genio chips. It is the standard channel for heterogeneous SoCs to coordinate work between Linux and firmware running on those companion cores.
recommendation
It should stay because this is a live subsystem, not a legacy single-device driver. Upstream work on the core and virtio transport continued into 2026, kernel documentation still positions it as the standard bus for remote-processor communication alongside remoteproc, and SoCs that depend on it (such as MediaTek's Genio 1200, advertised with availability through 2032) are still being designed into new embedded products.
repository signals
sources
- lore.kernel.org
Recent upstream work touched rpmsg core/virtio code in March 2026 ('rpmsg: use generic driver_override infrastructure'), indicating active maintenance rather than removal.
- docs.kernel.org
Kernel documentation describes rpmsg as the framework for heterogeneous SoCs with remote processors and states that rpmsg is a virtio-based messaging bus.
- docs.kernel.org
Kernel remoteproc documentation says remoteproc platforms add rpmsg virtio devices for remote processors, confirming rpmsg remains part of the current remote-processor stack.
- genio.mediatek.com
MediaTek's Genio 1200 page lists current AIoT/embedded SoC availability through 2032; this aligns with ongoing new deployments of MediaTek SCP/rpmsg-capable platforms.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Keep: this is an active subsystem directory, not an obsolete single-device driver. lore_file_timeline showed sustained 2021-2026 traffic on rpmsg_core.c and virtio_rpmsg_bus.c, with recent feature cleanup work and no evidence of a removal series. docs.kernel.org pages (found via web search) show rpmsg remains the standard bus for heterogeneous remote processors and is coupled to remoteproc/virtio, so there is no natural replacement driver beyond the same subsystem. MediaTek Genio 1200 web result indicates relevant SoC-class hardware is still sold for new embedded deployments in 2025+, while Qualcomm/virtio transports broaden ongoing usage. URL provenance: lore URL from lore_file_timeline; docs/kernel and MediaTek URLs from web search results.