Hi,
it seems we finally have achieved our goal of active vendor participation, that is, we don't have to beg for data sheets anymore, but vendors come to us with code and ask how they can help us.
That's really great!
Here's a preliminary non-exhaustive list of code areas and involved vendors (additions/corrections welcome):
Processors: - AMD contributes code
North-/Southbridges: - AMD contributes code - SiS contributes code
Super I/Os: - Winbond has offered help
Flash chips: - Macronix has offered help
The "fast feedback, fast commit" way of dealing with code contributions has been very successful since we practice it, so I'd like to continue that way.
That leaves us with the task to formalize (or at least establish guidelines for) contacts with vendors who have offered help. Suggestions: * Single point of contact which will not bounce/reject mail and guarantees speedy and/or confidential response. * E-mail address should be @linuxbios.org and forward to a unmoderated, spam-filtered, non-public list. * Once somebody of us picks up the vendor contact, he will continue with it or delegate explicitly. * Do we want to give vendors a telephone number for further inquiries? * Do we want to keep a list of the locations where we live/work (no precise address, only area)?
Reasons why I raised the last two points: I have gotten inquiries from a vendor who would like to meet us face-to-face or at least organize a conference call to better understand our mission and how to help us. That's great and I'd like to tell them: "Yes, we care, we can set up something."
Regards, Carl-Daniel