Hi All, As some may say, what is important to look at, is our "end-game". That is, how should our relationship with Allwinner be, and what steps to take to get there.
Allwinner has made mistakes with regards to free/open-source licenses of software. Some of those mistakes could have been avoidable (that is, still not release the source but distribute in a more appropriate way), while others have no way around (i.e. the source must be released) nor excuse. For the part of libvdecoder.so/libvencoder.so, if there are libraries in there that did not come from Allwinner, then there is a workaround for them by splitting the code in separate libraries. It would make them compliant (in future versions) but then the core issue of software support would be bypassed. I do not know whether libvdecoder.so has non-Allwinner code; perhaps David could investigate and deliver a verdict. There is this tradition for semiconductor companies to try to keep closed as much as possible. Being less exposed should mean less potential problems? And more control over the downstream? Well, that tradition is changing and it's not the important the new trend is to attract as many developers as possible. It is so critical to attract developers to your hardware/software, that companies start to make things free and open-source. For me, the important message from the recent discussion on software support in CedarX, is what Jon Smirl and javqui said. That they have been doing projects and the lack of good support is a huge issue. Also, very expensive to their projects. This is something that Allwinner must note down and rectify. Apart from the developers being affected, it is also Allwinner that loses developers and new customers. There are more and more SoCs from others to choose from, including Intel, who are doing a similar open driver (http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTg4Mjg). Even the PR manager at ImgTec showed interest to get things more open at http://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/2ps5l3/the_state_of_open_source_drivers_for_mobile_and/ I do not like the aggressive/abusive style that is shown in this list. I do not think that it can deliver a working relationship that can last. While we talk about "community", it's still "free for all" to anyone to lead to different directions. I think the "end-game" should be towards a long-term working relationship. In the case that Allwinner cannot deliver, so be it. Everyone would loses, including Allwinner. However, I see efforts to adapt, including the hiring of David. It's up to Allwinner to adapt quickly in order to keep attracting developers. Simos -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "linux-sunxi" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
