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> Is there some reason that the Linux kernel couldn't offer a stable API for device drivers?

Politics. Offering a stable-ish internal API would instantly lead to hardware vendors shipping closed source drivers for Linux.

Currently, you have to be the size of NVIDIA or AMD to be able to afford a closed source driver, it's simply a huge work to keep up with the constant improvements in the Linux kernel.

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Not true, there are smaller companies providing closed source kernel modules as well. Check any Android image for a device with SD card slot in the era where open source exfat driver didn't exist, and you'll likely find one of the 2 proprietary exfat driver modules.

Embedded/mobile projects don't tend to use bleeding-edge kernels and stuck on one version regardless of closed source modules anyway.

Yeah and these closed source exfat drivers were a true pain to maintain which is why Paragon (one of the vendors) was pretty pissed when Samsung's driver was upstreamed to Linux [1] - it killed off their business.

[1] https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/03/the-e...

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