> On Tue, Dec 06, 2005 at 02:28:27PM +0100, Paulo Rodriguez wrote: > > Hello misc, > > > > I was curious about something. Is it considered as a sensible thing to > > do, to request hardware info in name of the OpenBSD community directly > > from vendors, for your own experimentation purposes? > > If it is for your own experimentation purposes, do it in YOUR NAME. > > > My question comes from the idea that a fun way to learn device driver > > programming would be bugging the vendors of material you want to work on > > your own pc for docs. I would believe this would keep the motivation > > factor high, to learn how to program. > > better idea: learn by working on a documented product. Don't waste > people's time trying to do something you have never done before on > something that is also undocumented. > > > Of course, saying that you are interested to make it work on OpenBSD > > might be able to open some doors, as opposed to just barge in and say > > 'gimme tech doc now, I'm John Doe'. > > Saying, "I would like to get your product to work on OpenBSD" is a LOT > different from saying, "I'm working with the OpenBSD project and would > like to add support...". BIG difference. > > > At the moment, people who want to learn the above read already available > > code, then play around (as far as I can see). Looking into such docs and > > play around with it could be an interesting experience. > > > > Are there any objections to such approaches (requesting things in name > > of the OpenBSD community)? > > I got BIG objections. > > Let's say you DO leverage info out of a HW maker because they want to > see their product on OpenBSD. You either produce a really crappy driver > or no driver at all (as this is a "learning experience")... or maybe a > "great" driver that developers don't feel the desire to stick into > OpenBSD. What does that do to OUR credibility?
Nick is not speaking for the project when he says these things. By all means, go get documentation from vendors. Take a shot at writing a driver. I don't see any reason for anyone to go discouraging anyone from making an effort at writing software. > OpenBSD developers contact HW makers when they are ready (desire + > ability + availability) to deal with a new product. If there is need > for "community action", let Theo make that decision. That's a very > unusual situation. I have no time to micro-manage anything like this. Please Nick, stop discouraging people from trying to do things. Simply trying to do things is what got me, and all the other developers, where we are.
