[CentOS-devel] possibility of an extra-hardware-support SIG

[Karanbir Singh]

Hi guys,

I have been thinking about starting something that brings in extra Hardware 
compatibility and drivers to the stock centos kernel. Perhaps doing this as a 
SIG might be a good idea.

The aim would be ( but not limited to ):

- Find and coordinate the efforts by various hardware vendors to support CentOS

- Publish a comprehensive ( as much as possible ) install time DriverDisk ( both 
as an .img and .iso )

- Create, test and publish a mechanism to follow kernel updates ( might need 
someone to actually have access to some of this hardware, but it should be 
manageable specially if we can get the attention of hardware vendors ).

- Create a feedback-loop that makes it easy for users to request drivers / 
functionality in the stock and plus kernels. How we deliver on this is perhaps a 
discussion in itself, and something we can consider when we come to it.

- Bring together into 1 place all the various opensource drivers being published 
by Vendors ( 3ware, areca, tyan, supermicro etc ) for newer versions of their 
products that are not in the upstream version as yet. This might mean setting up 
an ftp location somewhere (?)

- I would also not mind looking at the very dark grey area of providing updated 
drivers for some components ( like the recent bcm and marvell ethernet drivers 
that really do need updating in the upstream kernel ) - but this again depends 
on how people feel about it - in lots of cases, we might end up step into and 
through a redhat patch.

Now, what does everyone else think ? If I start this, is it going to be only me 
there or is someone else going to come along for the ride as well ?

-- 
Karanbir Singh : http://www.karan.org/ : 2522219 at icq