From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S266287AbUHVF6m (ORCPT ); Sun, 22 Aug 2004 01:58:42 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S266291AbUHVF6f (ORCPT ); Sun, 22 Aug 2004 01:58:35 -0400 Received: from mustang.oldcity.dca.net ([216.158.38.3]:44198 "HELO mustang.oldcity.dca.net") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id S266223AbUHVF6Y (ORCPT ); Sun, 22 Aug 2004 01:58:24 -0400 Subject: Re: Linux Incompatibility List From: Lee Revell To: Kyle Moffett Cc: Jonathan Bastien-Filiatrault , linux-kernel , Wakko Warner , "David N. Welton" , James Courtier-Dutton In-Reply-To: References: <87r7q0th2n.fsf@dedasys.com> <20040821201632.GA7622@digitasaru.net> <20040821202058.GA9218@animx.eu.org> <1093120274.854.145.camel@krustophenia.net> <41282F4C.9060305@dastyle.net> <4127FD5A.90605@superbug.demon.co.uk> <41283EDA.6080501@dastyle.net> Content-Type: text/plain Message-Id: <1093154304.817.40.camel@krustophenia.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.4.6 Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2004 01:58:24 -0400 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Sun, 2004-08-22 at 00:15, Kyle Moffett wrote: > > Good idea, we should have something like two lists one for "chips" and > > one for "containers of chips" aka whole systems. That way it could be > > cross-referenced in a database-like way with a nice gtk frontend. The > > project probably ressemble the pci-ids project. That would pave the > > way for a free(as in speech) hardware purchasing guide. > > A well designed guide could go a long way toward convincing companies > to release specs. When a well known hardware website has user > testimonials that the drivers suck, the tech support are unhelpful, and > the company just doesn't get it, said company will probably tend to > listen. > Takashi Iwai's 'Writing an ALSA driver' (google for it) is IMHO the exemplar in this area. It is written at *exactly* the right level. Several major vendors have come on alsa-devel and posted to the effect that they followed this guide and have their driver 99% working, they just need help with this or that, someone answers a question or two, and bang, one more Linux-supported device. There should be a document of this quality covering every major category of driver. Lee