On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 01:12:55PM -0800, Roger Luedecke wrote: [ 8< ] deleted superflous full quote
We do have some veery good documentation, but I actually agree that we could be doing a better job of it. OpenSUSE is a strange animal in relation to Novell/SuSE/Attachmate. Though we are largely sponsored by SuSE, we are essentially an independent entity, and have very little practical connection with SuSE.
Very, very little. Only the main infrastructure gets operated and financed by SUSE. There are some other big sponsors too. Their logos get displayed as soon as you open the web pages of build.openSUSE.org for example.
Our primary connection is that many of the Novell and SuSE developers donate their free time to helping openSUSE with the building of the software and with fixes.
This is a bit naive view to relation of SUSE to the project. The whole is a win win situation. When we publish for example Samba to the Open Build Service network:samba:STABLE repository you get what you pay for. "I'm paying nothing, so what do I get?" you might think. You might get a hot potato in the worse case. And with the majority of core components I expect it's the very same.
But we are a primarilly volunteer organization, unlike Ubuntu or even Fedora. Essentially SuSE sits back and watches what we do and will gradually absorb our tech into their own Enterprise Linux,
Also this is not right. If SUSE would sit back how would a big change like the systemd move be driven? It is as it is with many other Open Source Software projects. SUSE gives and gets something back. Parts are driven by SUSE other parts are more driven by community members. And all this isn't limited to software components which are part of the distributed operating system. See also the huge involvement of the community and even other corporations with the Open Build Service. See how well community and SUSE.com worked together at the last openSUSE conference.
at which point we will then reap the benefit of fixes and improvements to that which they pick up.
Sometimes this happens. But sometimes it's the other way around. As described above.
If anything stated here needs correction or elaboration, please feel free. I am also still learning all the intricacies.
I hope the statements above draw a bit more realistic picture. Thanks. Lars -- Lars Müller [ˈlaː(r)z ˈmʏlɐ] Samba Team SUSE Linux, Maxfeldstraße 5, 90409 Nürnberg, Germany