[gentoo-user] Re: Slightly OT but interesting nonetheless...

[James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com>]

Volker Armin Hemmann <volkerarmin <at> googlemail.com> writes:


> > >  Breaking the user experience in order to ???fix??? something
> > >  is a totally broken concept; you cannot do it.

> > That's hilarious.

> > The Linux developers are _constantly_ changing APIs in ways that break
> > existing device driver code.  There are repeatedly wholesale
> > re-designs of some APIs that happen between minor versions of a
> > supposedly "stable" kernel.

> which is seriously not a problem and does not matter in the slightest.

Some perspective may ease the pain here. Folks on this list are focused
on *their personal pain*. Welcome to unix/bsd/linux. (too many decades now)
No pain, no gain. Gui experiences are what consumers see, feel and purchase;
so Volker is very right here. 

The kernel gyrations are all really about something much more important.
*MONEY*

Just think about it, on this list in the last few months, we have discussed
how the stock market runs on linux, Some folks use GPU + CPU for very
advanced things, Commercial distros like Apple's offering are making
billions. Android. (on and on). The point is the Linux Kernel is
the battle ground for software deployment, particularly firmware.
An infinite number of "user experiences"
can be packaged and sold on top of the Linux kernel.

Here's another one: Carrier Grade Linux (runs most of the worlds communications
systems, including most carrier grade cisco gear. Most legacy comm system
at some point now, get boosted on top of private IP networks run by the 
carriers (or military). Cisco recommends embedded linux on their carrier
switches and IOS is an unmanaged *hacked* pig, with little future.


The "gymnastics" about the kernel and drivers are the public manifestation
of a much deeper battle for embedded systems supremacy using linux. Wind River,
unquestionable the largest commercial offering of embedded solutions
has products based on both bsd and linux kernels. In "ka-hoots" with 
chip vendors they routinely offer "enhanced" drivers to companies that
build products, with features never to found in the linux published
sources. Binaries are available and yet clearly violate the spirit
of the whole (whore) open source movement. WHY? *MONEY*. Governments
and miltaries also feed at this trough. Linus would have his tits
slapped together, if he every interfered with these industries.
He in only in charge of the gyrations....

Tons of products still use embedded linux for the 2.4 kernel series.
They opt out of the 2.6 gyrations. Many companies put forward their best
technologies, in order to gain "mind-share" in the kernel wars.

Companies build very large data base systems, using the latest technologies
that work with the linux kernel. Often these technologies only appear 
for the masses, years after companies use a "in house" version as
the key pillar for commercial success (MONEY).

Take for example the company that does backups for one of the worlds largest
and most complicated database needs. The good old US ARMY.
They use linux, the latest open source databases and the newest
file systems like CEPHS, yet they are years away from public consumption.
Well financed companies are buying up the young (phd) experts whom
have hack out versions and code that makes CEPH usable. Billions of dollars
are being made and it's a real threat to Oracle. Customizations
of low level drivers in the latest linux kernel are the key, and
much of that work will not even be introduced to the linux kernel
community..........TOO MUCH MONEY AT STAKE!

(and you wonder why Oracle hates linux?) 

The linux kernel is a malaise of brilliant folks that are key components
in thousands of billion dollar schemes for a wide variety of embedded
and distributed  products (thinks corporation profits).

What amazes me if that we get any real progress on the kernel at all.
Only enough to keep technical folks in love with linux, but not
disturb the billion dollar industries, all jocking for position
around the kernel and drivers. So when things are murky, just
realize there is most likely several divergent financial interests
jocking for position behind those  public gyrations.....



> They NEVER change user-space APIs and ABIs in incompatible ways. THAT is 
> important.
> > We have to touch our NetBSD and FreeBSD drivers maybe once every 3-4
> > years.  
> and look how much devices they drive - because nobody has to send their 
> drivers upstream, nobody does.

Because embedded BSD, although still viable, does not have mindshare
any more. Most do not care. The battle it to spin your version
of embedded linux, and sell it to the product manufacturers.


> > Often our Linux drivers have to be updated every 3-4 _months_
> > to keep up with changes in the kernel that break things.
> which is your own fucking fault. 
> Get your drivers into the kernel. Problem solved.

Volker is right, again. However, this is where the true
fun begins, particularly when an innovative startup
looks to gain market share in an area where other
have made lots of money. Many drivers, not thought
to be strategic, have little issue. Some vendors,
Motorola comes to mind, put one driver into the kernel
and offer another quietly through vendors or
directly. Many Chipsets have always had "secret hardware features"
and the ability to use those features is still a well guarded
secret and costs tons of money and is often limited to 
who can use those chipsets. There are some NDA, if you
violate, your ass is dead.

Linus a "showboat" and making some serious cash, keeping
the public focused on linux (mindshare) and playing
as puppet as the big boys joust behind the scenes. From a
modeling point of view, the gyrations of the linux kernel,
chipset's hidden features and the device driver delusions
are very much akin to what is going on in the hacker
(interloper) world. The hilarious twist is the kernel
game is controlled by globalist. Hacking is everybody's
economic playground.

Why Greg even offers to develop drivers free for folks,
yet hardly any corporations take him up on this generous
offer?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Kroah-Hartman
http://kerneltrap.org/node/7636


Common it's all about *MONEY* The rest is just smoke, mirrors
and BULLSHIT....

hth,
James