Re: [Tech-board-discuss] Obtaining hardware for writing Linux drivers?

[Chris Ball <cjb@laptop.org>]

Hi Greg, thanks for the reply,

On Fri, Mar 04 2011, Greg KH wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 04, 2011 at 04:23:31PM -0500, Chris Ball wrote:
>> In the case of this particular device, I was pointed at Bdale Garbee by
>> people on IRC (but wouldn't have known to e-mail him myself) and will
>> see if I can get him to help.  But, even assuming he can help me, that
>> still doesn't solve the problem in the general case.  Any ideas?
>
> I'd be glad to step up and work on accomplishing this.  But, supposing I
> am successful in getting these contacts and keeping them up to date, how
> would you recommend that we publicize this type of functionality that we
> could now provide?

A strawman proposal might look like:

* A mail to lkml announcing the program
* LWN article doing the same
* A mail to LF company members asking them to nominate a contact
  person and encouraging them to take part, explaining how they'll
  benefit from people who *already* want to write drivers for them
  for free and just can't get the hardware they need to do so.

Once a decent mass of kernel hackers know about it, I'm sure it'll
spread by word of mouth to reach everyone else who needs to know;
I don't think there'll be a problem with disseminating the program
once the first batch of hackers knows about it.

Thanks!

- Chris.
-- 
Chris Ball   <cjb@laptop.org>   <http://printf.net/>
One Laptop Per Child