[forum] "Drivers? We don't need no stinking..."

[David Wexelblat]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: dan carpenter [mailto:d_carpenter@sbcglobal.net] 
> Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2003 9:01 PM
> To: forum@XFree86.Org; David Wexelblat
> Subject: Re: [forum] "Drivers? We don't need no stinking..."
> 
> 
> On Sunday 30 March 2003 07:45 pm, David Wexelblat wrote:
> > > >FWIW3 - If you want to learn how to do this sort of stuff,
> > > >porting an old driver to XAA, using the 3.x code and the old docs
> > > >to learn about the chipsets, then looking at docs for a chipset
> > > >that has an existing 4.x driver, will be a really educational
> > > >experience. I got started with all this by studying Thomas
> > > >Roell's ET4000 code and a databook for a few days...
> > > 
> > > I can agree with that.  There is zero ROI for paying someone to
> > > perform this effort however.
> >
> > That's up to you to decide. But it is also unfair to make 
> > demands that XFree86 do it. If you want it done, who's going
> > to pay for it? Maybe a bunch of volunteers will step up, but
> > I doubt it.
> 
> That's not a very inspiring attitude for a leader to have.  
> ;)  And also it's clear that people do volunteer driver 
> porting as evidenced by the original quote.
> 

Sure, some do, but rarely. Evidenced by the fact of the number of old
devices supported by 3.3.x that haven't been ported to 4.x in all this time.
The thing I find amusing is that Mike Harris and Red Hat are amongst the
loudest complaining that old devices aren't supported, yet he claims they
have no business case to support the work. So I find it rediculous for him
to flame at volunteers for not doing work he can't make a business case to
pay for...

> Life is better than you suppose.
> 

I would be VERY glad if people step up and do the work. Especially the
back-rev porting, which is educational. But I'm not optimistic.

> regards,
> dan carpenter
> 

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