Initial mainline video capture and camera support for Rockchip RK3588

Michael Riesch

April 13, 2026

As many System-on-a-Chips (SoCs) do these days, recent Rockchip SoCs (namely, those of the RK35 generation) integrate dedicated IP blocks for video capture and image signal processing. These additions open the door to a wide range of interesting multimedia applications. However, support for these blocks in mainline Linux remains one of the last missing pieces in an otherwise well-supported SoC lineup. It is time to close that gap!

Over the last few years, Collabora has invested significant efforts into mainline support for the Rockchip RK3588 SoC. Our RK3588 upstream status matrix and the recent review blog post show the success of this mission. Together with the vibrant linux-rockchip community and Rockchip themselves, we were able to provide upstream support for most of the features of the RK3588. On the other hand, there are still a few unsupported hardware blocks that need to be taken care of.

Video capture blocks and image signal processors (ISPs) notoriously fall into the category of hardware blocks that gain mainline support at a late stage. The reasons are manifold: hardware documentation is often unavailable, and the underlying hardware is complex, making it difficult for hobbyists to tackle. Even for companies, bringing up such hardware is a time-consuming and costly endeavor. Consequently, users often resort to vendor kernels, which can lead to regulatory compliance issues.

Collabora decided to start by bringing up the RK3588 video capture (VICAP) unit. This was a marathon, not a sprint. The rkcif driver had been under discussion since 2020. After numerous iterations and a major rework towards a media-controller centric V4L2 driver, the basic driver was accepted in October 2025. This was followed by the Rockchip MIPI CSI-2 receiver unit driver in January 2026.

At FOSDEM 2026, Collabora presented the progress, featuring a first picture made with a Sony IMX415 sensor attached to the RK3588 VICAP. While the image was processed in software at a low frame rate, it represented a significant milestone.

To fully utilize the RK3588 ISP, three main issues remain: support for the VICAP MUX-TOISP unit for direct hardware connection, a new rkisp2 kernel driver developed from scratch for mainline inclusion, and libcamera support including suitable image processing algorithms (IPA). Collabora, Rockchip, and Ideas on Board are working together to achieve these goals. Stay tuned for further updates and upcoming demos!