Messages in this thread | | | From | Joshua Kugler <> | Subject | Re: Linux drivers management | Date | Mon, 6 Feb 2006 10:02:27 -0900 |
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On Monday 06 February 2006 09:31, Nicolas Mailhot wrote: > > I think I am in a different position like you guys, I've been work with > > Linux from programmer level to Linux promotion . My goal is not just > > focus on Linux technical or programming, I would like to promote this > > operating system to not just for programmers, but also non-technical > > end-users . > > Since you invoke end-users I'll answer.
I heartily agree with this!!
I use two products that use out-of-tree drivers. VMWare and NVidia cards. Fortunately, the build processes for both are rather painless, but there have been times when it has *not* been, and it was extremely frustrating. I remember when VMWare was not doing a good job of supporting 2.6 kernels and I spent the better part of two days trying to track down a solution. I finally did, but it was a third party, non-VMWare, patch to the VMWare code that fixed it so it would compile and run. That's not what I consider convenience for the non-technical user. A non-technical user would not have been able to do what I did, especially when they just want their software to work.
> Do you really think we enjoy clicking though boatloads of HTML/js/flash > forms that will inform us about vastly important things like your custom > license, the mirror list you want us to master or your dog's birthday ?
I want to install my machine and have everything work. Don't make me chase all over the net trying to find a driver for my hardware. If it's a network (i.e. ethernet device) the driver had *better* be in the tree. Trying to download the driver to another computer, transferring, etc, is enough to make me find another brand of network card.
> Do you really think we enjoy learning all your out-of-tree driver > release and build processes because you couldn't be bothered with using > the same one as the kernel ?
Latest kernel == latest driver. No need for me to try to keep all my drivers up to date.
> Do you really think we enjoy locating the patch that will "fix" your > driver for our kernel because you do not bother testing anything else > than a few kernel releases, and that only for a few months after a you > wrote your driver ?
See comment about VMWare above.
> Do you really think we enjoy leaving in fear of a system update because > the first thing to break will be your out-of-tree drivers ?
I sometimes delay kernel updates because I don't want to mess with updating my NVidia and VMWare drivers. This is *not* good for security.
> But do not invoke end-users. Or end users will answer you.
So I did. Please put your driver in the tree. It will be better for all concerned.
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-- Joshua Kugler PGP Key: http://pgp.mit.edu/ CDE System Administrator ID 0xDB26D7CE http://distance.uaf.edu/ - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
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