From: Stephan von Krawczynski <skraw@ithnet.com>
To: linux-kernel <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Cc: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@transmeta.com>
Subject: What exactly does "supports Linux" mean?
Date: Tue, 13 May 2003 15:16:30 +0200 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20030513151630.75ad4028.skraw@ithnet.com> (raw)
Dear all,
I recently came across a very annoying question regarding Linux compatibility.
It rises a fundamental question which should be discussed, IMHO.
Facts are:
I bought a card from some vendor, claiming "support for Linux". I tried to make
it work in a configuration with a standard 2.4.20 kernel from kernel.org. The
drivers (kernel modules) are binary-only. They did not load because of a
version mismatch. Asking for versions loadable with standard kernels, I got the
response that they only support kernels from Red Hat and SuSE, but no standard
kernels.
This leads to my simple question: how can one claim his product supports linux,
if it does not work with a kernel.org kernel? Is there any paper or open
statement from big L (hello btw ;-) available what you have to do to call
yourself "supporting linux"?
I know that the technical background is ridiculous, because it should very well
be possible to recompile their drivers under stock 2.4.20, but it looks like
they don't want to, simply.
I am in fact a bit worried about this behaviour, because I take it as a first
step to a general market split up already known to *nix.
My general conclusion would be that something not working with a standard
kernel cannot be called "supporting linux", no matter what distros ever are
supported. You may call me purist...
Any ideas?
Regards,
Stephan
next reply other threads:[~2003-05-13 13:03 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 25+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2003-05-13 13:16 Stephan von Krawczynski [this message]
2003-05-13 12:53 ` What exactly does "supports Linux" mean? Alan Cox
2003-05-13 14:24 ` Richard B. Johnson
2003-05-13 15:07 ` Lionel Bouton
2003-05-13 16:45 ` Jonathan Matthews
2003-05-13 13:46 ` Duncan Sands
2003-05-13 15:12 Chuck Ebbert
2003-05-13 20:36 ` Måns Rullgård
2003-05-14 2:12 ` jw schultz
2003-05-14 7:57 ` Riley Williams
2003-05-14 17:58 ` Måns Rullgård
2003-05-17 16:05 ` Pavel Machek
2003-05-18 1:39 ` jw schultz
2003-05-18 3:53 ` Werner Almesberger
2003-05-18 21:49 ` Pavel Machek
2003-05-18 22:20 ` Neale Banks
2003-05-19 10:20 ` Helge Hafting
2003-05-14 14:11 ` Henning P. Schmiedehausen
2003-05-14 15:29 ` Mike Dresser
2003-05-15 0:11 ` jw schultz
2003-05-14 14:09 ` Henning P. Schmiedehausen
2003-05-14 14:44 ` Dave Jones
2003-05-14 15:58 ` Henning Schmiedehausen
2003-05-14 16:14 ` Dave Jones
2003-05-14 19:40 ` David Schwartz
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