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

[luke.leighton]

On Sat, Jun 8, 2013 at 9:41 AM, Oliver Schinagl <oliver+list at schinagl.nl> wrote:
> Removing all the other lists, as it's only noise on their radar.

 ack.

> Anyway, with all the negativity settled, I do understand what you are
> trying, working from the topside. So lets look your proposal.

 great.

>
> On 08-06-13 01:07, luke.leighton wrote:
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 11:08 PM, Maxime Ripard
>> <maxime.ripard at free-electrons.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> On Fri, Jun 07, 2013 at 07:26:49PM +0100, luke.leighton wrote:
>>>>
>>>>   maxime: we need to talk :)
>>>>
>>>>   please tell me in 4 or 5 sentences what you've managed to do so far,
>>>> expanding a little on what thomas says below, more specifically what
>>>> it achieves and/or allows rather than technically what it does
>>>> (suitable for managers and directors in other words), and what plans
>>>> you'd like to see happen.
>>>
>>>
>>> You mean something like http://linux-sunxi.org/Linux_mainlining_effort ?
>>
>>
>>   ahh, fantastic.  with references too.  magic.  exactly what i need.
>> thank you.  listed now at
>> http://hands.com/~lkcl/allwinner_linux_proposal.txt
>
>
> Look for ===== markers below
>
> Proposal: conversion to device-tree (from script.fex)
> ---------
> ==========
> Should be rather obvious why this is a good thing by now. Free updates; free
> maintance; Future merging will harder and harder; When android gets fully
> merged, it'll be harder to 'stay behind'. (with us doing quite some
> mainlining.
> ==========
> <snip>
>
>
> Proposal: funding of free-electrons.com and sunxi community
> --------- to continue mainline Linux Kernel work
> ==========
> One other thing that's maybe equally important is a technical support
> channel. For really technical questions.
>
> Example: While digging into the SID, I was looking for 2 things, what does
> the pre-written value mean, we know it has something like a serial number
> and the chip ID in there (some where actually zero) and how do you program
> it? Does it have anything to do with Pin T9, EFUSE_VDD?
>
> The reply? "What is your number of sales, what is the size of your
> market/company" etc. I mentioned we where writing stuff as linux-sunxi etc.
>
> They can whitelist only free-electrons or linux-sunxi.org e-mail addresses.
> Have only 1 or two leisons that they willingly talk to, but we sometimes
> have tons of technical questions that are simply unanswerable by us. This
> will be low-volume of course. Not a real burden, but really technical.

 ok - i think this will come about naturally, if the developers are
permitted to interact freely with the free software community.  that's
just been added this morning btw.  if you disagree and have something
more specific in mind, please could you create a separate section that
i can drop into the proposal?


> Benefit: Us actually being ABLE to write code (for free :( ).
> ==========
> Current status
> (more fully described here: http://linux-sunxi.org/Linux_mainlining_effort)
> <snip>
>
>
>
> Proposal: Provide full documentation on the NAND Flash workings
> --------
> ==========
> Also needed: Very badly: DOCUMENTATION TO EVERYTHING! ACCURATE UP TO DATE
> DOCS.
>
> We have some usermanuals for this chip with that missing, some other chip
> with others missing. But no definitive proper register guide. Things like
> 'this is XXX IP is used for this' would help a lot to merge with existing
> driver of course.
>
> Benefit to them? THEIR ENGINEERS NEED IT JUST AS MUCH AS WE! As said above,
> we need docs to write proper drivers, as do they.

 *lol* - you mean... they don't _have_ any??  that would be... shocking! :)

> ==========
>
> <snip>
>
> Proposal: Provide full source and tools for CEDARX
> --------
> ==========
> All is pretty much listed below. While this is less looking like kernel work
> (their cedar kernel and disp!!! kernel drivers are a horrible HORRIBLE
> mess); even the userspace bits (not mali of course) are just as important to
> have full access too. As you point out.
> ==========

 *sigh* :)  ok.  this may be true, but i need to put it a better way
:)  would you be happy to throw some words together that can go
directly into the proposal?


> I was a little dissapointed and shocked to have found out you missed our
> work. Linux-sunxi mailing list, while not perfect, does see those patches.

 i'm not on it for many reasons, the key personal one being that i
wasn't involved in the creation of linux-sunxi.org: i found out that
it existed several *months* after it was set up, so i'm still a bit
pissed at that.  the key "professional" one is that it would be
another list with specific technical discussions and user-related
questions that would completely overwhelm my ability to manage the
other things going on.