From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S262202AbUBYTBa (ORCPT ); Wed, 25 Feb 2004 14:01:30 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262228AbUBYS7n (ORCPT ); Wed, 25 Feb 2004 13:59:43 -0500 Received: from kinesis.swishmail.com ([209.10.110.86]:64776 "EHLO kinesis.swishmail.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S261732AbUBYS7Z (ORCPT ); Wed, 25 Feb 2004 13:59:25 -0500 Message-ID: <403CF2E7.4020303@techsource.com> Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 14:09:27 -0500 From: Timothy Miller MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Linus Torvalds CC: Sam Ravnborg , Rik van Riel , Matti Aarnio , Greg KH , Christoph Hellwig , "Woodruff, Robert J" , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, "Hefty, Sean" , "Coffman, Jerrie L" , "Davis, Arlin R" , marcelo.tosatti@cyclades.com Subject: Re: PATCH - InfiniBand Access Layer (IBAL) References: <403CCC77.6030405@techsource.com> <20040225185553.GA2474@mars.ravnborg.org> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Linus Torvalds wrote: > > On Wed, 25 Feb 2004, Sam Ravnborg wrote: > >>If we take the vendor persåective here. Then why should they make their >>driver open source, when the middle layer is not part of the >>main stream kernel? > > > And why should we take the vendor perspective? > > We don't add drivers for stuff that doesn't exist, and is not even likely > to be used much. That way, when problems occur (and they _will_ occur), > the burden of the crap will be firmly on the shoulders of the people who > should care. I was not suggesting that we add drivers or even the middle layer to the mainline kernel until there is some use for it. Rather, it wouldn't be a bad idea for someone to DEVELOP it as a patch which could be mainlined the moment there became a demand for it. This also leaves the work in the hands of those who should care, because anyone using the middle layer has the 'disadvantage' of using a non-standard patch which they have to take responsibility for using.