UBUNTU: [SAUCE] Update Poulsbo Video driver to build 5.0.0.0040

[Steve Magoun]

On Apr 15, 2009, at 12:03 PM, Tim Gardner wrote:

> 1) Why are we getting monolithic patches? Its _very_ difficult to  
> catch
> important details, especially when obscured by large changes in code
> structure.

Intel distributes the code as a tarball. They do not provide  
individual patches.


> 2) I'm concerned about code provenance. Who actually did the work?
> Tungsten Graphics is listed as one of the original developers. Are  
> they
> still contributing?

To the best of my knowledge, Intel or a contractor of Intel does all  
current work on the driver. I am told that Tungsten Graphics has not  
been involved for several months.


> 3) If it is difficult for you to host a git repository, I can  
> certainly
> make one available for your use on kernel.ubuntu.com, unless you  
> already
> have an account (there is already a jayc from Intel).

Unfortunately getting access to a git branch by hosted Intel is not  
likely to happen - especially in the timeframe required by the OEM team.


>> This is isolated off in the lpia branch so as not to iinterfere  
>> with main
>> hardy.  It is what it is.  If we find further issues with this, it  
>> makes
>> sense to keep this patch as-is and apply ours on top.
>>
>
> While this patch may not interfere with the main distro releases, it
> _does_ affect a number of OEM platforms. I'm sure existing owners  
> would
> be quite annoyed if they are regressed. Furthermore, this repository  
> is
> going to exist for 4 more years. I'd just as soon not look back in a  
> few
> months and wonder wtf was I thinking?


Luckily this particular driver affects only a small number of OEM team  
projects. I have been in contact with all of the relevant project  
leads, they are all looking forward to having this update included in  
the hardy/netbook-lpia tree (and future Poulsbo updates, as they  
become available).

The Poulsbo graphics driver stack does not fit in well with the rest  
of the kernel/graphics stack in Hardy (or Intrepid/Jaunty, for that  
matter). Nobody likes this situation, but we have to make the best of  
it. I am in no position to dictate how the kernel is maintained, but I  
will throw out the idea that perhaps this particular driver be treated  
as a binary blob - updates are all or nothing, and we accept that the  
patch quality may not be up to the standards of the rest of the kernel.



Steve