Message-ID: <3C7793D8000013C1@freesurfmta01.sunrise.ch> (added by
	    postmaster@sunrise.ch)
From: "Per Jessen" <per@computer.org>
To: "linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Cc: "Mark H. Wood" <mwood@IUPUI.Edu>,
        "Dave Rattay [ITeX]" <Dave.Rattay@itexinc.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 14:10:28 +0100
Reply-To: "Per Jessen" <per@computer.org>
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Subject: RE: Dlink DSL PCI Card
Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org

On Sat, 23 Feb 2002 07:42:10 -0500 (EST), Mark H. Wood wrote:

>> comes out from Microsoft (such as XP) we are given beta copies 6 months
>> in advance so that our drivers hit the market along side the new OS
>> release.  This just doesn't happen with Linux.
>
>Sure it does.  It happens right here on LKML and some other lists.  You
>can get early-release images of Linux 2.5 right now.  The distribution
>builders won't pick up 2.5 for many months.

Isn't/wasn't 2.5 meant as a development release ? And 2.4 was meant as production, 
but certainly had more iterations than you would have expected of such.
If 2.5 is a development-release, I would not expect distros to pick it up
any time soon - just like they never shipped anything with 2.3. Even when
SuSE started shipping 2.4.0, the distro carried a clear recommendation of
using 2.2.18.

There are significant differences in the way Linux development happens and 
the way in which commercial software is release-managed. It's a fact. 
If Linux kernel development were to stick with the initial idea that odd releases 
are development, even are production, then it might be easier to keep up. In 
which case itexcinc would perhaps now be looking at 2.5x with an aim of releasing
drivers for 2.6.

>
>(Stores need to understand this too.  A lot of sales have gone to one
>rather than another because store B told me what chipset was used in a
>board-level product, and store A would not.)

Wishful thinking - people who understand the importance of which chipset on which
board are usually not employed as shop-assistants.


/Per
PS: I'm all for the main point that's being argued here - but I do understand 
itexcinc's point of view.

regards,
Per Jessen, Zurich
http://www.enidan.com - home of the J1 serial console.

Windows 2001: "I'm sorry Dave ...  I'm afraid I can't do that."


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