From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S932447AbVLFRS1 (ORCPT ); Tue, 6 Dec 2005 12:18:27 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S932473AbVLFRS1 (ORCPT ); Tue, 6 Dec 2005 12:18:27 -0500 Received: from mail.kroah.org ([69.55.234.183]:35293 "EHLO perch.kroah.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S932447AbVLFRS1 (ORCPT ); Tue, 6 Dec 2005 12:18:27 -0500 Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 08:47:00 -0800 From: Greg KH To: Willy Tarreau Cc: Tim Bird , Dave Airlie , David Woodhouse , arjan@infradead.org, andrew@walrond.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Linux in a binary world... a doomsday scenario Message-ID: <20051206164700.GA2596@kroah.com> References: <21d7e9970512051610n1244467am12adc8373c1a4473@mail.gmail.com> <4394DA1D.3090007@am.sony.com> <20051206040820.GB26602@kroah.com> <20051206060734.GB7096@alpha.home.local> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20051206060734.GB7096@alpha.home.local> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.11 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Tue, Dec 06, 2005 at 07:07:34AM +0100, Willy Tarreau wrote: > It's not about being dumb, but this problem is -I think- what prevents > some companies from releasing drivers for their hardware (when they > don't consider that opening it will give their IP away). I've played > several times with opensource drivers for ADSL modems, LCD modules, > watchdogs, ethernet adapters, IDE drivers, etc... and their problem > was that what worked well in 2.4.21 did not even build in 2.4.22 > and became difficult to fix starting with 2.4.23. Most of those > small companies who propose a Linux driver simply start by paying > a student during summer for porting their windows/sco/whatever > driver to linux. They think the job is done when he leaves. > Unfortunately, they receive complaints 3 months later from users > because the driver is broken and does not build. They don't have > the resources to keep a permanent developer on it, and they > quickly understand that Linux is just a "geek OS" and that it's > the last time they release any driver. That's why Documentation/HOWTO was written, to help those people realize what needs to be done in order to do it properly. thanks, greg k-h