[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       dri-devel
Subject:    [Dri-devel] Re: [Xpert]Re: XFree86 NDA documentation
From:       "Mike A. Harris" <mharris () redhat ! com>
Date:       2002-01-31 20:03:33
[Download RAW message or body]

On 31 Jan 2002, Jose Fonseca wrote:

>> In order to be accepted into the project however, you need to 
>> ...
>> 
>
>(Thanks for your explanation about NDA and steps to be a XFree86
>developer but I already had that understanding.)

Sorry, I wasn't implying that you didn't fully understand it..  
Rather, many people are still asking these questions.  As such, I 
decided to explain it more detailed for the benefit of those who 
are potential - but not yet developers.


>> Yes, it is still true.  Unless every vendor that has given 
>> XFree86.org documentation under NDA somehow decides the NDA is no 
>> longer necessary, this process is not likely to change.
>> 
>
>Perhaps I didn't explain myself. I was asking if XFree86 still gave
>access to NDA information to their _members_ or if each developer had
>now to get the information as a _individual_ from the hardware vendor.
>Anyway you answered this question already [^higlighted^].

It's on the ftp site.  Whatever is not there, is not available.  
You must then acquire whatever NDA's you need on your own.  The 
main point of the email being that if someone is _not_ an XFree86 
member, they are very highly likely going to be refused by a 
given hardware manufacturer for consideration of NDA unless they 
are working for some graphics company, or a game developer or 
somesuch.


>> Please note, that the above process does NOT get you access to 
>> the documentation of all of the ATI hardware.  In order to get 
>> ATI hardware documentation, you must become an ATI developer 
>> relations member.  If you're not an XFree86 member however, then 
>> you wont likely be accepted into ATI developer relations unless 
>> you meet some other criterion.
>> 
>
>I had the impression that most of the (at least) ATI hardware 
>documentation was available to XFree86 members since so many times ATI
>has declined giving documentation to more people stating that same
>reason [availability through the XFree86 and DRI projects]. But you seem
>to say otherwise here.

Thats right.  The ATI documentation is available from ATI on 
their private website, after agreeing to the ATI NDA.  Obviously 
that point was not clear, even after my last email, so I am glad 
that I sent that message, and this one to help clarify this for 
people.

>> Out of all of the people interested in working on XFree86 or DRI, 
>> I've noticed that people generally fall into two categories:
>> 
>> 1) People who show initiative and do stuff, working with what 
>>    hardware, tools and documentation that _are_ available to 
>>    them, and asking questions about problems they encounter while 
>>    trying to fix a given bug or work on a piece of driver code.
>> 
>> 2) People who have done nothing at all, but are interested in 
>>    doing so, but whom probably have not even looked at the source 
>>    code, or even tried to fix any bugs, assuming that they must 
>>    have the documentation first or it is not possible to 
>>    contribute to anything.  Many of whom complain about lack of 
>>    documentation, having to agree to NDA's and whatnot.
>> 
>> While #2 people often have legitimate complaints, many of the
>> things I have seen people complain about are static items, at
>> least for the time being.  It is generally IMHO the #1 people who
>> show the most initiative, and hack away on their own, that end up
>> producing results, and also end up meeting the general
>> unofficial guidelines I've mentioned above.
>> 
>> Summary of entire email:  JUST DO IT
>
>I agree with your general picture. I just want to add that its not a
>black&white division between #1 and #2 people and that a good guidance
>from the existing projects developers can effectively change #2 people
>in #1...

Certainly.  My emails are intended to offer such guidance to
potential developers.  I've helped several people join XFree86 as
members, and also join ATI devrel.  Similar steps also to join
Matrox devrel and other hardware vendors too.

Most people whom I've recommended the above steps to, who have
followed them, were XFree86 members within a few days or so, and
had the information they seeked within days or a week or so.  I
hope others find the information useful also.


-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike A. Harris                  Shipping/mailing address:
OS Systems Engineer             190 Pittsburgh Ave., Sault Ste. Marie,
XFree86 maintainer              Ontario, Canada, P6C 5B3
Red Hat Inc.                    Phone: (705)949-2136
http://www.redhat.com           ftp://people.redhat.com/mharris
Red Hat XFree86 mailing list:   xfree86-list@redhat.com
General open IRC discussion:    #xfree86 on irc.openprojects.net
----------------------------------------------------------------------


_______________________________________________
Dri-devel mailing list
Dri-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dri-devel
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]