Collabora has achieved initial mainline video capture and camera support for the Rockchip RK3588 SoC. After more than five years of development across 25 patch iterations and three driver renamings, the basic rkcif driver supporting the RK3588 VICAP (Video Capture) unit was merged into the Linux kernel in early 2026.

This effort fills a critical gap in mainline support for the RK35xx generation. Video capture and ISP hardware typically receive mainline support late due to limited documentation, complex hardware, and the substantial engineering investment required. Users previously relied on vendor kernels, which can create regulatory compliance challenges under frameworks like the EU's Cyber Resilience Act.

The next major hurdle involves integrating the RK3588 ISP for hardware-accelerated image processing. Collabora is working with Rockchip and Ideas on Board to develop a new rkisp2 driver supporting the full RK35xx ISP family, with initial testing already showing promising results. The team demonstrated the first camera capture from a Sony IMX415 sensor at FOSDEM 2026 in Brussels.

The project still requires implementing the direct hardware connection between VICAP and ISP, creating the full ISP kernel driver, and adding libcamera support with appropriate image processing algorithms. A demo is planned for Embedded Recipes in Nice (May 27-28).