FC1 Support for *relative* new hardware

[Thorsten Leemhuis]

Am Mo, den 15.12.2003 schrieb Nicolas Mailhot um 09:46:
> Hi,
> 
> 	You need to work with upstream projects (kernel, alsa,
> linucprinting.org, etc), if you want faster hardware support.

Yes this would be one wheel in the hole machine -- but letting users
standing in the rain without hardware support for 4-6 month (a fedora
core release cycle) is IMHO far to long. 

As long as hardware manufacturers don't provide any easy way to
integrate their drivers into fedora I think its part of our job to make
the *often available* drivers easily available for the fedora-users (not
existing linux drivers is a different topic).  

BTW: Providing linux drivers is already hard enough for hardware
manufacturers as there currently is no "driver-installation-standard"
(and maybe this is also a good thing -- different topic again).
Driver-installation is different on each and every linux-distribution
(and maybe each version of it). Lets help them and provide this drivers
in an easy manner, I think it's good for linux and fedora's reputation.

> 	Sure it may take more than a month for upstream updates to hit rawhide
> (at best). But my experience is getting something supported upstream is
> much longer, even when "support" is only adding a new id to an already
> existing driver (new gfx card rev, new PS printer, etc).

IMHO Correct.

>  A distro is not
> a transparent/zero-cost filter.

Of course. 

>  It is supposed to take time
> evaluating/testing/adapting the software it includes.

Yes, therefor my current proposal was an independent repository where
you can find never drivers for the current Fedora Core version. Making
this drivers available here for those who really *need* them is better
then don't provide drivers at all or in an sometimes complicated manner
(rawhide). People are IMHO often a bit riskier if the alternative is not
to use linux at all.  

Just my 2 cent.

Cu
thl