Posted on 09/28/2007 9:39:20 AM PDT by N3WBI3
Way back in January, I announced a program to write Linux drivers for companies for free. When I did that, I never expected the response to be as large as it was.
It turns out that there were two large groups of people who responded to the announcement, companies wanting drivers, and developers wanting to help out.
I never imagined that so many different people would offer to help out. There is a real need for a place where developers can find a "real" project to work on in the Linux kernel. The Kernel Janitors project is a great place to start out, but what to do from there? It turns out that over 100 different developers offered up their services. Clearly this was a huge untapped group of talented people who wanted to help out.
Also, the number of companies expressing interest in this has exceeded all of my wildest expectations. Already this announcement has caused a number of drivers to end up in the main Linux kernel source tree, with more in the pipeline.
But unfortunately, I was not able to handle all of these different developers and company requests on my own. I had a full-time job, and a full part-time hobby doing Linux kernel development. These requests ended up going unanswered, and I sincerely apologize for that.
Now this has all changed.
My employer, Novell, has modified my position to now allow me to work full time on this project. Namely getting more new Linux kernel drivers written, for free, for any company that so desires. And to help manage all of the developers and project managers who want to help out.
We have kicked off the project again with this announcement on the mailing list set up for the developers wishing to help out.
If you want to join this group of people, or are a company wanting a free Linux driver written for them, please see our new web page at:
and follow the instructions there on how to join in.
I can't thank the people who have helped make this possible at Novell enough. They really care about helping make Linux support as many devices as possible, with fully opensource drivers.
Now let's get busy writing code...
OSS Ping
That really rocks. Good job Novell!
Despite the fact some on the forum **cough*** ORT ***cough*** slammed Novel for buying suse it seems they have aquitted themselves quite nicely.
“LOL, Red Hat and Novell are both dropping like a rock on the stock market if you haven’t noticed, been going on for months check it yourself. Red Hat down another 4% today already, the stock was $30 last summer and is now down to $10, with no end in sight.” — Absolutely giddy about two american companies with falling stock (01/21/2005)
“That’s because Novell is losing more money every quarter on their Linux adventure.” — (06/19/2005)
Showing once again that anonymous claims of financial expertise based on a few lines from yahoo are not, in the end, a substitute for reality.
Our Resident Turkey? :-)
Close ;)
Novell has been one of those companies that has never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
They OWNED client-server networking and sat idly by while Microsoft engaged in a price war with them and won.
They bought Unix System Labs...and did nothing with it.
They bought Digital Research...and did nothing with it.
They bought WordPerfect...and did nothing with it.
They bought Borland's Quattro Pro...and did nothing with it.
They bought Ximian...and did nothing with it.
So when they bought SuSE, I fully expected the 2nd largest commercial Linux to fade away. So far they haven't, but time will tell.
And they've entered into a partnership with Microsoft, ignoring history again. Few companies that have "partnered" with Microsoft have emerged intact.
This announcement to assist with Linux drivers is very welcome. I just hope that once Microsoft turns on them (and they always turn on their "partners") that this little adventure into Linux kernel space doesn't turn into a Microsoft excuse to send their flying monkeys after Linux companies...Something like a SCO writ large.
All due to the support of the supposedly evil Microsoft, according even to Novell:
Novell credits Microsoft for soaring Linux sales
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6210692.html
But thanks for the laughs...
You don’t have to tell me, I was in support of the MS Novell deal from the beginning. Point is Novell not aligned with MS GE is gitty about a company which sells Linux losing money...
Novell aligns with MS GE focuses more on Red Hat and is ok with Novell..
I don’t support any version of the leftist-backed foreign clone Linux whether Microsoft does or not. I do find it hilarious though that most Linux pumpers don’t even know the product well enough to realize the Microsoft they so hate is free to sell ther own copy if/when they so choose..
GE,
anyone who uses Linux and reads the GPL knows MS is free to sell Linux and I have never witnessed anyone on FR who thinks otherwise..
I will know that day is imminent when I see advance orders for space heaters coming up from Hades.
Bad analogy, Torvalds is the atheist not me. And I clearly understand things just fine, as Linux is “free software” and not simply “open source”, which has a significant difference between them known as copyLEFT, making the “free software” not really free at all. It is confusing obviously, but you can thank the green party leftist Stallman who wrongly wants to call it free for that.
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