KERNEL ❯ PIXEL 5 ❯ Proton Kernel

[kdrag0n]

Proton Kernel
Performance-oriented kernel​

Proton Kernel is a minimal kernel focused on improving overall UX with performance and battery tuning.

Usage with my ProtonAOSP ROM is recommended to get the most out of your phone. The ROM does not include Proton Kernel, so you will need to flash it yourself. The kernel alone will work just as well on stock, but you will not get the benefits of the ROM. More tightly coupled features may be added in the future.

Installation
This kernel is provided as a bootable flasher image. It is not a boot image for flashing into the boot partition. Boot the image with "fastboot boot ProtonKernel-pixel5-VERSION.img" to flash it. The image is specially packed with a custom flasher that is fast and easy to use, so flashing it into the boot partition directly will not work.

All versions of all ROMs are supported, as well as Magisk if you wish to use it. Magisk will be preserved after flashing if you already have it installed. If not, you can install Magisk by patching your boot image before flashing the kernel.

DO NOT FLASH THE IMAGE DIRECTLY TO THE BOOT PARTITION! It will not work, no matter what you flash it with — fastboot, kernel managers, etc.

Features

• Advanced CPU tuning specifically for the Snapdragon 765G to improve performance and reduce jitter
• Scheduler ramp/decay tuning for faster response to quick actions
• Display power-saving tweaks (mostly Pixel 5 only)
• Near-instant display wakeup (Pixel 5 only)
• Reduced touch latency and motion jitter (at the cost of losing Deep Press)
• ThinLTO optimizations for performance
• TCP ECN, BBR congestion control, and fq_codel network scheduler for faster and more reliable networking
• 80 MiB of extra RAM unlocked for apps to use
• More linear and consistent battery percentage curve
• Custom fast & easy kernel flasher with support for Magisk and all ROMs
• Minimal debugging for better security, performance, and reduced size
• Sultan's Simple Low Memory Killer to improve memory utilization
• Tuning for F2FS garbage collection, low-level atomic operations, and more
• System call filters compiled to machine code for 66% faster filtering
• Reduced CPU usage when using cellular data (for testing with 5G mmWave networks)
• Compiled with the latest Proton Clang 13 toolchain
• zRAM disabled to reduce CPU waste
• WireGuard VPN acceleration
• Support for power user tasks: USB modem-like devices (e.g. RFID tools), custom virtual USB Ethernet networking, isolated Linux containers
• SafetyNet basic attestation passing without Magisk

Downloads
Downloads and changelogs can be found on GitHub. The topmost release is the latest.

Make sure you download a flasher image, not source code! Source code cannot be flashed.

Join the Telegram group for support and extras

Donate to support development: recurring donation to keep the project alive in the long term or buy me a coffee

Source code

 

[Mrcactuseater]

Nice

 

[jaythenut]

How come min CPU is 1516

 

[rav101]

How come min CPU is 1516

I think it's based on this commit: https://github.com/kdrag0n/proton_kernel_redbull/commit/08b5b13c4a1f551163106691b42c3c8bdb339e0d

Have a read of the description of the commit to understand why it's done this way.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using XDA Labs

 

[sean222]

Going to give this a try today! Thanks

 

[Thaiban]

Thanks a lot for your hard work .

Sent from my BASIC using Tapatalk

 

[Jackie Coyote]

Where's the performance? This is a lagfest. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. But usually the truth hurts.https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/android-low-memory-killer-or-out

 

[kdrag0n]

Where's the performance? This is a lagfest. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. But usually the truth hurts.https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/android-low-memory-killer-or-out

That sounds like something is wrong with your setup (not necessarily your fault) because my own device is performing great on this kernel. Please send kernel and Android logs using the SysLog app. It would also be helpful to get more details: slow or janky, where, what, when, etc.


I'm not sure what you're trying to say with the Simple LMK article, but I've had a great experience with SLMK on all of my devices. It's very unlikely that it's causing issues for you. The stance of mainline Linux developers do not always align with providing the best possible experience on mobile and Android as they are interested in satisfying a much wider array of needs and unifying them as much as possible.

 

[Jackie Coyote]

That sounds like something is wrong with your setup (not necessarily your fault) because my own device is performing great on this kernel. Please send kernel and Android logs using the SysLog app. It would also be helpful to get more details: slow or janky, where, what, when, etc.


I'm not sure what you're trying to say with the Simple LMK article, but I've had a great experience with SLMK on all of my devices. It's very unlikely that it's causing issues for you. The stance of mainline Linux developers do not always align with providing the best possible experience on mobile and Android as they are interested in satisfying a much wider array of needs and unifying them as much as possible.

Good luck with your kernel. I have the deepest RESPECT for you and Sultan. You guys make the Android community far better than it could ever be. There is not many of you guys that are so committed i will always appreciate your work.
That being said, I am so sensitive and picky it's not even funny. Lol
Here's my problem. I'm so busy and overwhelmed that trying to help you is futile.
I really think I could and would. If I could retire. This is always my work device. They pay me for this. That being said. I have no logs and wish you the best.

 

[dukat0s]

Battery life and stability are superior. .. thanks for all your efforts @kdrag0n .. I wish the old pixels got this superior life . Cya in telegram keep it up fella..

 

[tschannik26]

Thank you very much for your work! Everything is working really well for me, battery life is amazing!
I am using your rom and kernel and flashing your kernel just improved perfomance im my favourite game (which I've been playing for years) a LOT!
In certain parts it was really laggy before and now it's just smooth
So thanks again

 

[Hellshell]

Works great with your ROM brother, thank you so much for your work <3

 

[Vio281]

so once the phone is rebooted, fastboot process needed to be redone?

 

[kdrag0n]

so once the phone is rebooted, fastboot process needed to be redone?

No, the installed kernel is persistent.

 

[Vio281]

No, the installed kernel is persistent.

Thanks appreciate it, been a while since I am in the flashing game, your kernel is really good, I can tell by how it scroll in youtube. Anyway if you could look into swap space, and disable it, I know I done this in my Linux computer at work and I use to do it on android phones, not sure if they evolve into z-swap but that always give me an improve performance.

 

[kdrag0n]

Thanks appreciate it, been a while since I am in the flashing game, your kernel is really good, I can tell by how it scroll in youtube. Anyway if you could look into swap space, and disable it, I know I done this in my Linux computer at work and I use to do it on android phones, not sure if they evolve into z-swap but that always give me an improve performance.

Modern Android phones use zRAM for swap, which this kernel has disabled.

 

[Jarrod666]

Hi, it's not possible to flash it with Ex kernel manger app isn't it ?

 

[rav101]

Hi, it's not possible to flash it with Ex kernel manger app isn't it ?

No it's not possible,

You have to fastboot boot the kernel. When it boots the kernel it will flash itself in its own little installer and then reboot to android with the kernel flashed.

 

[Jarrod666]

No it's not possible,

You have to fastboot boot the kernel. When it boots the kernel it will flash itself in its own little installer and then reboot to android with the kernel flashed.

Ok thank you

 

[Vio281]

I keep coming back to this kernel after flashing the other...this kernel is legit!

 

[neeksxda]

Was already impressed with the battery-life provided by ProtonAOSP's bundled kernel, but was shocked by the gains in battery-life after installing the ProtonKernel (no Gapps):