About Me

I’m Javier Tia, a systems engineer specializing in upstream Linux kernel development, embedded Linux, and CI/CD infrastructure for hardware platforms.

I work close to the metal - writing and upstreaming kernel drivers, building Yocto-based BSPs from scratch, implementing UEFI Secure Boot on ARM platforms, and building the automated test infrastructure that keeps it all green across kernel releases.

Most recently I was a Senior Software Engineer at Linaro, where I worked on upstream kernel enablement for MediaTek silicon, UEFI Secure Boot for ARM platforms in the Trusted Substrate project, SOAFEE automotive Linux testing, and LAVA-based CI/CD infrastructure for Yocto image validation.

My current active upstream work includes:

  • Linux kernel (linux-wireless@): 18-patch series adding WiFi 7 support for the MediaTek MT7927/MT6639 (Filogic 380) to the mt76/mt7925 driver - v4, community-tested across 10+ hardware platforms
  • Linux kernel (linux-bluetooth@): 8-patch series enabling MT6639 Bluetooth in btusb/btmtk - merged into bluetooth-next, targeting mainline Linux 7.1/7.2
  • libcamera (libcamera-devel@): 3-patch AGC and AWB fix series for the Simple pipeline - merged May 2026. Follow-up 2-patch series (sumShift cleanup + OV2740 tuning file) in review

Everything is public and verifiable via lore.kernel.org and the projects page.

What I Work On

Upstream kernel driver enablement Taking hardware from out-of-tree or vendor-supplied drivers to mainline Linux. Full cycle: driver bring-up, patch series preparation, mailing list submission, review iteration, and post-merge maintenance.

Embedded Linux & Yocto BSP Board support package development and hardening on Yocto/OpenEmbedded. UEFI Secure Boot implementation (U-Boot key enrollment, systemd-boot and kernel image signing, OE-QA runtime test cases). OP-TEE integration. ARM platform bring-up.

Embedded CI/CD infrastructure End-to-end CI/CD pipelines for embedded Linux: LAVA test lab setup, SQUAD result aggregation, TuxSuite integration, GitLab CI pipelines for Yocto builds and automated hardware testing. Turning manual QA into reproducible, automated regression detection.

Developer tooling Go and Python tooling for engineering workflows - CLI tools, GitLab/GitHub automation, package registry tooling, and build system integration.

About This Blog

This blog covers upstream kernel development, hardware bring-up, Yocto, and systems engineering - written from real problems encountered in production. Posts tend to be long, hands-on, and include the parts that didn’t work the first time.

Published series: the full MT7927 story across 4 posts (WiFi 7 driver development and BT upstreaming), Intel IPU6 webcam mainline migration, Yocto build systems and CRA compliance, and practical Linux tooling.

Work With Me

I’m currently available for consulting engagements. I work with:

  • Semiconductor vendors and OEMs needing upstream kernel enablement for new silicon - WiFi, Bluetooth, camera, and platform drivers
  • Embedded product companies building on Yocto/OpenEmbedded who need BSP bring-up, Secure Boot implementation, or OP-TEE integration
  • Engineering teams building or improving automated test infrastructure for embedded Linux - LAVA lab setup, GitLab CI pipelines, hardware-in-the-loop testing

Engagements range from short advisory and code review to multi-month retainers. Based in Costa Rica, working remotely with clients worldwide.

Get in touch: