Re: HighPoint- GPL Licensed Controller wants To be Include In Debian Distribution
Hi May Hwang! On Jan 28, 2008 2:59 PM, May Hwang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: These Hardware RAID controllers offer GPL licensed Linux Open Source driver and have been accepted into 2.6.25 main kernel tree but since this is not a stable kernel version yet so our Debian system integrators still have to go through driver compilation in every installation process. Therefore, our Debian customers request HighPoint must work with Debian developer to include our linux drivers into the latest Debian Distribution. HighPoint is always looking ways to provide friendly use experience for customers so we will assign a dedicated firmware interface to work with Debian developer on this project. As Sean said, it's great that you are making this effort to provide a better experience for your users. Regarding Debian's latest distribution, once a distribution gets into a stable form, it gets frozen; this means that Debian won't add extra packages to it. However, once you make the package, following the guidelines that Sean gave you, you can provide that package to your customers, for them to download. The amount of effort for downloading a module from a different site than the official Debian site, is almost nothing compared to the effort of compiling and installing the module by hand, I think your customers would be perfectly satisfied if you provide the package at your site, until the next release (by then it will already be included in the kernel). -- Besos, Marga -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: HighPoint- GPL Licensed Controller wants To be Include In Debian Distribution
Hi May, (This should all be prefaced with the statement that i don't have a great deal of experience with kernel module packaging, someone from debian-kernel may have more insight than me) First I should say it is very thoughtful of you to contact the debian community regarding your drivers, if only more members in the industry would do so! Regarding packaging the kernel module: i suppose the best way to package the module for kernel versions before the mainline inclusion of your driver is to make a module-assistant-compatible package, which is about the easiest way one can install kernel modules in debian systems. take a look at the documentation for module-assistant, specifically: /usr/share/doc/module-assistant/HOWTO-DEVEL.gz (though this assumes a certain level of familiarity with debian packaging). and maybe use a couple other module source packages for reference as well. more information is also available at: http://wiki.debian.org/ModuleAssistant though this is more user-oriented. after you have created an initial version of your package, you can always feel free to request feedback or review (via debian-devel/debian-kernel, or via IRC), and eventually sponsorship of your package for inclusion into debian if you feel it's relevant. typically this last step is done by filing an RFS bug against the pseudo package wnpp via reportbug. if you need help with packaging basics, there's also the debian-mentors list, which is also a good place to find a package sponsor. anyway, hope that information is helpful, sean On Monday 28 January 2008 05:59:10 pm May Hwang wrote: Dear Debian Developer, This is May Hwang, Product Manager from HighPoint Technologies. HighPoint have launched a new series of H/W RAID controllers based on Intel 2nd generation PCI-express I/O processor, one main advantage is we are the only manufacturer integrate this Intel Fastest SATA I/O processor on HighPoint 4 and 8 ports controllers compares to others RAID controllers use 1st generation PCI-express of I/O Processor. These Hardware RAID controllers offer GPL licensed Linux Open Source driver and have been accepted into 2.6.25 main kernel tree but since this is not a stable kernel version yet so our Debian system integrators still have to go through driver compilation in every installation process. Therefore, our Debian customers request HighPoint must work with Debian developer to include our linux drivers into the latest Debian Distribution. HighPoint is always looking ways to provide friendly use experience for customers so we will assign a dedicated firmware interface to work with Debian developer on this project. We are looking forward to provide better support for Debian customers, let us know how to move forward? Best Regards, May Hwang HighPoint Technologies,Inc. Tel:408-240-6118 Fax-408-942-5800 http://www.highpoint-tech.com www.highpoint-tech.com http://www.hptmac.com www.hptmac.com Distribution Partners: ASI, BellMicro, DH, Malabs RocketRAID - Terabyte Storage Technologies signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part.
RE: HighPoint- GPL Licensed Controller wants To be Include In Debian Distribution
Dear Margarita, Can you resend Sean's email because I didn't receive his email? Up to this point, we are offering binary package based on customer request, because binary driver package only support one specific kernel version. Hence it is inconvenience for customer and time consuming. Please advice when is the next release update and which kernel version? Can I send you and Sean our Linux open source driver? Best Regards, May Hwang HighPoint Technologies,Inc. Tel:408-240-6118/6112 Fax-408-942-5800 -Original Message- From: Margarita Manterola [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 11:03 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; debian-devel@lists.debian.org Subject: Re: HighPoint- GPL Licensed Controller wants To be Include In Debian Distribution Hi May Hwang! On Jan 28, 2008 2:59 PM, May Hwang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: These Hardware RAID controllers offer GPL licensed Linux Open Source driver and have been accepted into 2.6.25 main kernel tree but since this is not a stable kernel version yet so our Debian system integrators still have to go through driver compilation in every installation process. Therefore, our Debian customers request HighPoint must work with Debian developer to include our linux drivers into the latest Debian Distribution. HighPoint is always looking ways to provide friendly use experience for customers so we will assign a dedicated firmware interface to work with Debian developer on this project. As Sean said, it's great that you are making this effort to provide a better experience for your users. Regarding Debian's latest distribution, once a distribution gets into a stable form, it gets frozen; this means that Debian won't add extra packages to it. However, once you make the package, following the guidelines that Sean gave you, you can provide that package to your customers, for them to download. The amount of effort for downloading a module from a different site than the official Debian site, is almost nothing compared to the effort of compiling and installing the module by hand, I think your customers would be perfectly satisfied if you provide the package at your site, until the next release (by then it will already be included in the kernel). -- Besos, Marga -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: HighPoint- GPL Licensed Controller wants To be Include In Debian Distribution
On Mon, Jan 28, 2008 at 11:24:55AM -0800, May Hwang wrote: Dear Margarita, Can you resend Sean's email because I didn't receive his email? Up to this point, we are offering binary package based on customer request, because binary driver package only support one specific kernel version. Hence it is inconvenience for customer and time consuming. Please advice when is the next release update and which kernel version? There is an etch-n-half planned pretty soon, which is to include a new kernel with new drivers (at present, it is likely that this new kernel will be 2.6.24). It would appear to me (though my opinion is in no way authoritative in this matter) that a package with new HighPoint drivers would be suitable for inclusion in etch-n-half, too. I'm sure people on debian-kernel will be able to provide more insight into that matter. Having said that: while a package with drivers for a hard drive controller would easily allow a Debian user to *use* the system with those drivers, it would not provide them with a way to actually *install* the system yet. If your hardware cannot be used in a compatible way, wherein the hardware will work, even if not at the highest performance which it would support with those drivers, then this is a problem that would need to be addressed by providing an updated debian-installer image. Luckily, this is not very hard; once you have a modules package with your drivers, what you would need to do would include: - creating a udeb (a debian-installer module) containing your additional drivers (this can be easily done with the kernel-wedge package and your modules package) - building a custom debian-installer image which would include your udeb. Your customers could then download the debian-installer image from your website (or wherever), boot from that, and then install Debian as usual. You might also want to modify your installer image so that it would, if your hardware is detected, install the modules package; the debian-installer environment contains sufficient software to make this possible. Can I send you and Sean our Linux open source driver? It's probably best if you put them online somewhere, and post a link. Then those who are interested could, at the very least, help you get started, or do the work. Thanks again for your support of Debian, -- Lo-lan-do Home is where you have to wash the dishes. -- #debian-devel, Freenode, 2004-09-22 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
