Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1750740AbVLHIEz (ORCPT ); Thu, 8 Dec 2005 03:04:55 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1750741AbVLHIEy (ORCPT ); Thu, 8 Dec 2005 03:04:54 -0500 Received: from embla.aitel.hist.no ([158.38.50.22]:25570 "HELO embla.aitel.hist.no") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id S1750740AbVLHIEy (ORCPT ); Thu, 8 Dec 2005 03:04:54 -0500 Message-ID: <4397E9FA.7000609@aitel.hist.no> Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2005 09:08:26 +0100 From: Helge Hafting User-Agent: Debian Thunderbird 1.0.7 (X11/20051017) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Michael Poole CC: Jeffrey Hundstad , Benjamin LaHaise , Lee Revell , Dirk Steuwer , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Runs with Linux (tm) References: <1133779953.9356.9.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org> <20051205121851.GC2838@holomorphy.com> <20051206011844.GO28539@opteron.random> <43944F42.2070207@didntduck.org> <20051206104652.GB3354@favonius> <20051207141720.GA533@kvack.org> <1133982741.17901.32.camel@mindpipe> <20051207194746.GG533@kvack.org> <439760FF.3060605@mnsu.edu> <874q5k4k3z.fsf@graviton.dyn.troilus.org> In-Reply-To: <874q5k4k3z.fsf@graviton.dyn.troilus.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2284 Lines: 55 Michael Poole wrote: >Jeffrey Hundstad writes: > > > >>It might be possible to add a serial number to the logo, and keep a >>database that maintains a current status of the device in the Linux >>kernel. >> >>Does this make sense? >> >> > >Not especially. To be accurate, it would have to be bumped every time >a driver is removed from the kernel -- or, more accurately, every time >the in-kernel API changes. To be useful, such an increment would have >to only happen once a year or so, or else updating the packaging is >too much work. Currently, the in-kernel API changes every month or >two, which means a driver compatibility serial number would be >inaccurate, futile, or both. > > Well, a driver that gets _into_ the tree will get a lot of maintenance for free. Basically, someone wanting to change an internal interface normally takes care of all internal users of that interface. (And yes, there are some exceptions but this is the rule.) Still, to prevent everlasting "runs with linux" stickers, give them one-year stickers only. Get a GPL driver into the kernel tree in 2005, and you get the "runs with linux 2005" sticker. To get a sticker for 2006, there have to be an active maintainer. This could be the company doing maintenance. Or, in case of really popular hardware, it could be the kernel regulars doing it voluntarily. In the latter case, the company would only need to ask for the 2006 sticker. Once a driver gets no maintenance, neither from the company nor the community, no more stickers is handed out for it. And of course it shouldn't be stickers only, but also logos they can put on their websites. Linux people usually look up such things on the web when planning purchases. Also, a company that _wants_ to support linux can show that they still support the previous generation of products. They have no use for physical stickers for a product that doesn't sell much, but having a logo is advertising, they show that their products have long-time viability for linux users. Helge Hafting - 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/