On Sun, Dec 8, 2013 at 7:39 PM, Luc Verhaegen <l...@skynet.be> wrote: > On Sun, Dec 08, 2013 at 04:46:17PM +0000, Tim Fletcher wrote: >> On 08/12/13 16:36, Alexey Eromenko wrote: >>> If USB is not working then whole Cubietruck is not working. >>> Because I plug the keyboard into USB. >>> >>> For my Cubietruck USB is working on Linux 3.4 >> >> USB works fine on the 3.4 kernel, the point I was making is that I am >> now running debian jessie on a mainline kernel. This was raised as a >> problem during earlier discussions about the Cubietruck / A20. >> >> There are a number of things that aren't perfect but it's seemed to me >> to be a major step forward for Debian on the A20 to have a mainline >> fully OSS kernel. > > If you are running mainline, then you do not get to complain about bits > or pieces not working. I would've thought that that was clear.
... let's think this through logically. a) debian-arm like all distros is a disparate mess as far as kernel support is concerned (for reasons which we all know, and i've summarised a number of times. summary again: there's no BIOS, pretty much zero common ground between designs, and unlike power-pc where the hardware is both sparse and very x86-like, device-tree doesn't help). b) very few fabless semiconductor companies have the time, resources or patience to go mainline: it's too hostile, too alien, and completely contrary to business practices. their focus is android, not gnu/linux distros such as debian: one stable kernel per SoC is more than adequate for them to make several million in sales. c) we on the other hand _do_ have the patience and a different focus, but it *is* still taking time, to clear up the mess and the trail of debris left behind. that patience (and time) is however limited, so has to be dished out sparingly. d) the extreme low-cost of the allwinner SoCs alongside their attempts (despite a complete arse-of-a-manager's direct violations of the Directors explicit instructions) to be GPL-compliant means that it's worthwhile mainlining the allwinner kernel source. e) there is a lot of catching up to do. f) debian has not _quite_ caught up with the mainline catching up that the sunxi community is patiently and slowly working its way through. so, luc, i think it fair to say that alexey and tim were, far from complaining, merely pointing out something very useful, which is that work is successfully being done, and that, by implication, at some point in the future, thanks to a considerable amount of work being done, the allwinner SoCs _will_ end up in a debian-released kernel. l. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-arm-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/capweedycsbb4szvn2svtzfeys_kreczvuleix6hiqysu1ni...@mail.gmail.com
