[Arm-netbook] getting allwinner SoC support upstream (was Re: Uploading linux (3.9.4-1))

[luke.leighton]

On Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 7:57 PM, Wookey <wookey at wookware.org> wrote:
> OK, this sounds good. Could you say who the allwinner engineers are?

 [cross-over: i asked him if he'd be happy to let me know privately,
so i have at least some context when speaking to the Directors]

> I
> guess it's quite a large organisation, so if Crazy Luke can say 'the
> work of mainline integration using device-tree is already being done
> by $these $people, please talk to them to help move it along', that
> might help get everyone on the same page.

 .... *mull*, *mull*... yes exactly!

> If it's like many large organisations, some bits of it will 'get it'
> and see why, in the long term, mainline integration is worthwhile, but
> other bits will look at what they have now and their android focus,
> and decide it's easier to keep doing what they are doing.
>
> There is a lot of hardware using these socs, and I'd love to be able
> to use that with mainstream stuff, rather than random vendor piles,
> and specific android kernels, so anything we can do to help make that
> happen is good.
>
>> So yes, Allwinner has an evil vendor tree (c), with a solution similar yet
>> inferior (because not generic enough) to the device tree, but they show
>> interest on going down the mainline road.
>
> So, luke: mainline is not going to support fex directly, whatever you
> or allwinner do. The advantages to allwinner of working with mainline
> are:
> 1) Ability to use whatever (kernel supported) hardware they like with
> new designs, with no driver work
> 2) Ability to use latest kernels and thus whatever shiny goodies those
> include
> 3) No need to do fex-ready drivers for new hardware
> 4) No need to keep backporting new kernels to add fex integration
> forevermore

 hooraaaaay - thank you wookey, this is exactly what i need.
cut/paste, straight into the report.

> If they want to keep existing tools and fex workflow then a fex<->DT
> translation tool will be needed.

 in-kernel or external tool?

> (It's not clear to me to what degree
> DT can simply be used instead directly)

 TBD.  input here, anyone?