Manifesto / [Kernel-discuss] No sound on h2200 with 2.6.21-hh8 kernel

Hello Gerhard, hello all h2200 owners!

> BTW:
> I was wondering that you have created a very fine Wiki page in your private
> Wiki-Space at "http://www.handhelds.org/moin/moin.cgi/MichalPanczyk"
> but without linking to it anywhere. Why have you made this effort if you don't
> give others the chance to participate?

I have created this page as a draft. I did want people to participate
- actually that was my greatest intention. But I had a chat with Paul,
and he convinced me that in this conversion it would be hard "for
developers" to take care of it.
Imagine the number of machines in the CVS tree multiplied by number of
kernel version "we" had. That's quite a lot of work considering the
state of some ports - being unmaintained.
Of course, if You say that this can be handled by users, I will agree,
but... Some changes must be done by people who actually tested the
kernel and know exactly what problems might be experienced.... Plus
looking at the h2200 mailing list - most of problems are handled by
small number of people - where developers are in majority.... The same
would probably apply to such wiki page.

Right now I am thinking of:
- in very short perspective - creating a page of TODO things
- in longer perspective - doing these things:
a) converting kernel status form "my personal" page (which I don't
treat in this way - it is a place to convert ideas to some more
realistic form) to actual kernel status of h2200 (which I feel the
most involved in). That would include solutions for common problems -
like we have just experienced with the sound module.
b) creating a page, with test procedures of kernel/system components
(ie. who to test if sound works) and recipes how to distinct/solve
known problems (ie. load specific module)
c,d,... ) many others that I don't remember know or don't have time to
write about... (I just typed in the most of things for my short
perspective page).

I hope that no one is going to be mad at me because I post it to h2200
mailing list, but this involves some interesting issues.

Most of newcomers that have h2200 device and spot that Linux is
supported by their lovely devices ( like mine:D ) probably don't read
the mailing lists and are surprised that some features that are
obvious to work with windows don't work with Linux. The greatest
example - buttons, or the power status not working properly.
I am not sure if everybody at this port know that these problems have
been solved long, long time ago and h2200 is _very_ usable with Linux
now. I guess that there is one things missing at this port - lack of
good communication between developers (that have solved these issues
long time ago) and users (that don't read/search the list). In the
first case - developers do inform the users about their (grate!!!!)
achievements, but in unattractive, incoherent way (at the list only) -
like "fire and forget" system. And then the same question are asked,
more developers' time is wasted - they loose they patience and don't
respond to next questions.
>From the users point of view - who buys a car and signs to a fan club
of particular brand/model to solve they basic problems ? In
problematic situations users call the service line (mail the
h2200-port) or some (the clever ones:D ) read the instructions (wiki
pages). But the wiki pages or install instruction don't mention about
possible problems with h2200....

Why did I write all this text? Because I feel that there is a need for
more cooperation between developers and users at hh.org. I am probably
never going to be a real developer - I don't feel strong enough in
kernel programing, development philosophy/habits/etiquette and in free
communication in English. But I have spent a lot of time to find
solutions for the problems I had with h2200 and that paid back -my
h2200 is usable and I know how to bring it to this state.

Now I am asking for some help from both sides:
- users - in updating the wiki pages, (maybe we should have a Q&A page
in h2200 port?), sharing solutions (for wiki pages, interesting
projects involving ipaqs, ways to promote hh.org projects), finding
bugs, etc.,
- developers - in some web space professionally maintained [*] and
keeping/building[**] fixed components in ipk form, and (maybe) sharing
the latest (development) kernel in the web so that every user could
try it out, without the need of compiling it by himself. That type of
solution (together with test procedure page that I have mentioned
earlier) would help in testing and finding bugs ....

I hope that there is going to be some discussion about the
problems/ideas I mentioned and something good is going to come out of
that.

Finally I would like to add a note that I did not want to offend
anybody by the text above. I just feel personally involved in this
port and I wanted to express I care about it. If anybody felt offended
- I am sorry and please don't feel this way.

-- 
Michal
[*] - only professionally managed web space can handle "development"
updates (I don't mean unofficial updates). I have experienced it on my
own example.
[**] - building, because most of users don't play with openembedded
and familiar build tree....And even if they have an idea how to solve
a problem in the code/a patch, build process is sometimes to
hard/problematic to go through (for somebody inexperienced).