OK then, replace "kernel" in my previous comment with "kernel plus a bunch of lower-level userspace". If anything, this makes things worse not better. It means we're re-introducing the possibility of duplicated effort and gratuitous breaks of compatibility in that lower-level userspace, which is exactly what we were trying to get away from via AOSP.

This makes it more important rather than less to work on an AOSP alternative that's far more in line with existing Linux practices in the mainstream, non-embedded ecosystem. And let's face reality, the chip vendors aren't doing it.