TheaterFire

Several Linux DRM Drivers Orphaned Due To Developer Health

Posted by GL4389@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 25 comments

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25 Comments

Kevin_Kofler@reddit

The affected drivers: gud, mi0283qt, panel-mipi-dbi and repaper, plus the FBTFT frame-buffer drivers. So this does not affect the drivers for mainstream PC graphics cards, but drivers for embedded devices. However, that also means that the drivers are inherently more niche and harder to find maintainers for. I hope they will find a new maintainer.
View on Reddit #46701908

Ezmiller_2@reddit

How complex would these things be to do? Just wondering as I've never delved into these things.
View on Reddit #46780217

Kevin_Kofler@reddit

Well, mainly this will need a person sufficiently experienced with kernel development to take maintainership duties. And I do not know how much work beyond routine maintenance is needed on those drivers. If people are missing some features in the driver that the hardware supports, someone needs to work on implementing those. But I do not know whether there are any such missing features here. And obviously, whenever new hardware based on the same technologies comes out, the driver will need to be updated for that hardware.
View on Reddit #46783379

Ezmiller_2@reddit

That makes sense. I have no clue on how to do any of that. But I can follow instructions in compiling a kernel.
View on Reddit #46896756

cAtloVeR9998@reddit

Reminder to the casual reader: Linux DRM = Direct Rendering Manager. Not Digital Rights Management
View on Reddit #46676565

twisted_nematic57@reddit

\*Digital **Restrictions** Management
View on Reddit #46739643

hmoff@reddit

Since when? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management
View on Reddit #46823681

twisted_nematic57@reddit

Richard Stallman famously calls it that, as he is ardently against any form of DRM.
View on Reddit #46823824

ryanknapper@reddit

Curse you, Dr. M*!*
View on Reddit #46779825

Azsde@reddit

Thanks for that.
View on Reddit #46686157

ilep@reddit

Reminder how large parts of open source world depend on the contributions of few developers.
View on Reddit #46677716

Joroc24@reddit

Me trying Linux and discovering everything comes from github💀
View on Reddit #46716967

Intelligent-Stone@reddit

And GitHub comes from Git, kind off.
View on Reddit #46802212

poudink@reddit

Uh, no? Most things on your typical Linux desktop are not developed on GitHub. The Linux kernel doesn't use GitHub. GNU doesn't use GitHub. FreeDesktop doesn't use GitHub. GNOME doesn't use GitHub. KDE doesn't use GitHub.
View on Reddit #46724656

TWB0109@reddit

And in any case, there’s nothing wrong with something coming from GitHub, it’s quite literally a place where you can publish your software and all of the revisions it has gone through
View on Reddit #46795979

mark-haus@reddit

Insert that one perennial XKCD cartoon that keeps being right
View on Reddit #46728982

barneyman@reddit

xkcd: Dependency https://search.app/xMBxrGUvdVszGcTYA
View on Reddit #46737545

woah_m8@reddit

Who volunteer as well
View on Reddit #46677940

Almamu@reddit

It's sad to see people suffer from these kinds of health issues to be honest... What does usually go on the process of maintaining such drivers like these?
View on Reddit #46722609

KamiIsHate0@reddit

Someone that also, for some reason, have the same skillset that the guy start submitting patches and updates and that is it. Considering he was a lone wolf for so long i doubt we will find someone to take his place that fast. There is a chance that this project just goes unmaintained for years until someone comes.
View on Reddit #46778648

bullwinkle8088@reddit

Somebody starts submitting patches and it goes from there.
View on Reddit #46729704

Indigowar@reddit

Wish him the best. It's so odd to me that the entire Open Source infrastructure, used by so many, is often maintained by lone enthusiasts. The Linux Foundation should step in and do something about this (unless they already are).
View on Reddit #46700356

pattymcfly@reddit

Check out rust driver development
View on Reddit #46751758

KamiIsHate0@reddit

Was about to say that.
View on Reddit #46778485

Yondercypres@reddit

That's sad. Wish him the best.
View on Reddit #46659380