Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3605 mails)

[BRUCE STANLEY <bruce.stanley@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rajko M <rmatov101@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Peter Van Lone wrote:
> On 6/1/06, Rajko M  wrote:
> 
>>
>> Vendors can write drivers that will run in user space like X server. Why
>> is good to have drivers in user space is explained here:
>> http://lwn.net/Articles/66829/
> 
> The key, I think from the article linked above, is:
> 
> "Getting a user-space driver patch into the kernel could be an
> interesting challenge. Many kernel hackers, certainly, resist changes
> that look like they are pushing Linux toward something that looks like
> a microkernel architecture - or which might legitimize binary-only
> drivers. On the other hand, some drivers bring a great deal of baggage
> into the kernel with them which might be better kept in user space;
> think of some of the code required by some sound drivers or the
> modulation software needed by "linmodem" drivers. The ability to run
> these drivers in user space could be a nice thing to have."
> 
> The question becomes, where is the leadership on how "linux" is going
> to handle this? The "community" needs to resolve the issue in such a
> way that the bulk of "kernel hackers" can feel comfortable AND we
> "users" can have easy access to a stable of stable device drivers that
> keep pace with developments in new hardware.
> 
> A distro that wants to lead, needs to define the solution to this
> problem, lead an open discussion about the proposed solution, and then
> be able to present a compelling enough case that sufficient
> quantities of device makers AND kernel hackers take up the solution.
> 
> Perhaps this is what Novell is attempting to do with the device driver
> initiative that they announced. If so ... very good. But, in the mean
> time, they have failed to articulate the larger strategy, such that
> "we" know WHY they are pulling proprietary code, and HOW they plan to
> make it better down the road. Additionally, if they are going to pull
> proprietary code for well-used devices, then they SHOULD go out of
> their way to publish "how to's" that make the "in the meantime" tasks
> as easy as possible for the largest numbers of people.
> 
> It only makes sense ... and that is leadership. So, at this point, it
> appears to me that Novell has shown 1/3 of the effort of leadership :
> 
> 1)putting out a process that could pave the road for easier
> development, but have failed the other 2/3:
> 
> 2)making a convincing case to the "kernel hackers" and other distros
> and hardware makers -- basically they have not created the public
> aliances that are required, and
> 3)they have failed to communicate effectively to the broader market
> (us) regarding the direction and have failed to "make it easy" to
> suffer the transition
> 
> Peter
> 

Hi Peter,

Novel is walking in the new land of business with open source and they 
are learning. For this business model, there is no school to learn 
first, in quiet academic environment, and then to apply the knowledge, 
there is no even previous project of this magnitude to analyze and avoid 
errors, so there will be some.

The new device driver initiative is probably the most promising recent 
development:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060517/sfw026.html?.v=53
http://developer.novell.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Partner_Linux_Driver_Process
So some alliances will be formed.

-- 
Regards,
Rajko.

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This is not the way a professional Tech company should operate.
They have been around long enough in the Computer indusrtry to
know better.

You don't someone out of an airplane and then tell him on the way down
you'll get him a parashut later.

This reminds me of what happen at a Mini-Computer vendor I once worked
at right out of College back in the early  80's.

The Product  Marketing Department decided that the company should drop
it's proprietary Compter systems and market a more generic Unix (System V)
box because the wave of the future was Unix.

They presented this grand plan to the Customer base at the next User's Group
meeting and asked the customers how many would be willing to drop the old
systems and go with the new Unix systems.

Out ot the entire customer base,  only three or four were willing to go with
the new plan.  The rest made it very clear that they did not want the company
to drop it's existing systems because they had too much money and software
development tied up in them.

Needless to say,  the CEO made the decision to go with the new plan anyway.
Revenue to the company dried up and it started having layoffs every three
to four months.  With in 3 years or so, the compay was sold off by its parent
company and down sized from 2000 employess (at the home office) to 
about 400.  In a short period of time,  it then split into two samller companies
and only one of them is alive (barely) to day.

Moral of the story,  don't shoot yourself in the foot when it comes to your
customer base,  Novel/Suse should know this!