[osol-mktg] OpenSolaris/Solaris and Hardware Partnerships

Sara Dornsife Sara.Dornsife at Sun.COM
Tue Mar 20 06:31:29 PST 2007


I feel obligated to point out that the open sourcing of the code shows 
Sun's interest in catering to enthusiasts.

Your suggestion for content is really good and I think will be very 
useful. Let's move forward and see where we can take it.
Sara


Kaiwai Gardiner wrote:
> Hi,
>
> You're right - there needs however to be a divorce between the 
> OpenSolaris community and Sun/Solaris itself - Sun seems to be not 
> interesting in catering to enthusiasts, small shop programmers and 
> basically anyone who 'falls outside' the fortune 500 list of people.
>
> OpenSolaris community needs to create that bridge between the 
> OpenSolaris project and end users which creates and inclusive 
> environment which is stuffy and over corporatised.
>
> With that being said, once this has been set up, my next push is for 
> bounties for Solaris issues to be addressed by those who wouldn't 
> otherwise contribute to an open source community - to speed up 
> development in areas which are not being focused on by the Sun 
> developers but end users would like addressed.
>
> Matt
>
> On 3/21/07, *Sara Dornsife* <Sara.Dornsife at sun.com 
> <mailto:Sara.Dornsife at sun.com>> wrote:
>
>     Let's ask Derek about adding links in those two places. I would
>     think that the driver community should have some involvement there
>     too???
>     Sara
>
>
>     Tim Foster wrote:
>>     Hi there,
>>
>>     On Tue, 2007-03-20 at 07:32 -0500, Sara Dornsife wrote:
>>       
>>>     Is there anywhere I should be linking to the HCL from? 
>>>         
>>     Yeah, I'm scratching my head about where also - except it should be
>>     somewhere prominent I think.
>>
>>     Perhaps the "System requirements" link on 
>>     get.opensolaris.org <http://get.opensolaris.org> ? Maybe
>>     also somewhere on http://www.opensolaris.org/os/downloads/ ?
>>
>>
>>       
>>>     Is Nevada going to be different?
>>>         
>>     Yes unfortunately, there's always new hardware being added - the HCL
>>     does have a separate section for Solaris Express though, which was based
>>     on pretty recent Nevada bits..
>>
>>     	cheers,
>>     			tim
>>
>>
>>       
>>>     Sara
>>>
>>>     Tim Foster wrote: 
>>>         
>>>>>     What I propose is a "works with", "OpenSolaris compatible" programme
>>>>>         
>>>>>             
>>>>     Interesting idea - how is this different to the Solaris Hardware
>>>>     Compatibility List ? (or are we talking about branding here - something
>>>>     that could be based off the HCL?)
>>>>
>>>>     Should we instead be driving the community to add/ammend the Solaris
>>>>
>>>>     HCL, writing tutorials or somesuch as to how they go about doing that,
>>>>     or make more prominent links to the HCL on OpenSolaris.org ?
>>>>
>>>>     More at
>>>>
>>>>     http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/hcl/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>     Have you seen the device detection tool:
>>>>     http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/hcl/hcts/device_detect.html
>>>>
>>>>     If we could get everyone using OpenSolaris to check the HCL, and then if
>>>>     their system isn't listed, to run HCTS and submit the results
>>>>     http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/hcl/hcts/  then others would benefit from
>>>>     that.
>>>>
>>>>     	cheers,
>>>>
>>>>     			tim
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>     On Tue, 2007-03-20 at 20:00 +1200, Kaiwai Gardiner wrote:
>>>>       
>>>>           
>>>>>     HI,
>>>>>
>>>>>     I'll make up a mock up of it on OpenOffice.org Calc, and spit it out
>>>>>     to a PDF then post it via this avenue (if it is of a reasonable size
>>>>>     (less than 50K))
>>>>>
>>>>>     Matt
>>>>>
>>>>>     On 3/20/07, Sara Dornsife 
>>>>>     <Sara.Dornsife at sun.com> <mailto:Sara.Dornsife at sun.com> wrote:
>>>>>             Would you be able to create this matrix? I think that would be
>>>>>
>>>>>             very helpful to many. I can give you access to the marketing
>>>>>             community to post it, but that doesn't seem like the right
>>>>>             place. Any ideas?
>>>>>             Sara
>>>>>             
>>>>>             
>>>>>             
>>>>>
>>>>>             Kaiwai Gardiner wrote: 
>>>>>             > Hi,
>>>>>             > 
>>>>>             > With hardware compatibility, you can have a matrix; the name
>>>>>             > of the device up the top in the title, a list of features on
>>>>>
>>>>>             > the left hand side and along the top, the distributions -
>>>>>             > basically a grid like formation.
>>>>>             > 
>>>>>             > So what you can do, for example, if I have an mp3 player,
>>>>>             > for example, which distribution will it work with, and what,
>>>>>
>>>>>             > if any, software do I need to download and install to make
>>>>>             > it possible to access the device.
>>>>>             > For classes of device, do you specify the entire class as a
>>>>>             > single group - eg. USB Mass Storage Devices), then note
>>>>>
>>>>>             > exceptions that don't work, like my Sony DSC-S85 digital
>>>>>             > camera[1]
>>>>>         
>>>>>             
>>>>       
>>>>           
>>>>>             > In the case of my mp3 player:
>>>>>             > 
>>>>>             > iAudio X5 30GB
>>>>>             > 
>>>>>             > Feature:                          OpenSolaris
>>>>>             > 
>>>>>             > Ogg Playback                Yes
>>>>>
>>>>>             > Ogg CD Ripping             No - Seperate
>>>>>             >                                       download (provide
>>>>>             >                                       link to third party
>>>>>             >                                       packaging site)
>>>>>
>>>>>             > 
>>>>>             > Matt
>>>>>             > 
>>>>>             > On 3/20/07, Sara Dornsife <Sara.Dornsife at sun.com>
>>>>>      <mailto:Sara.Dornsife at sun.com> wrote: 
>>>>>             >         Kaiwai,
>>>>>             >         A hardware "compatibility" program would be great.
>>>>>             >         And your help would
>>>>>             >         be very appreciated. The biggest issue we face with
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         this is the fact
>>>>>             >         that there isn't really an OpenSolaris distribution
>>>>>             >         to be compatible 
>>>>>             >         with. A hardware vendor can be compatible with
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         Solaris, and the Solaris
>>>>>             >         Ready program has been mentioned.
>>>>>             >         
>>>>>             >         Is there a way to put together a program that would
>>>>>             >         indicate
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         compatibility across all distributions? We can work
>>>>>             >         on the TM once we 
>>>>>             >         figure out the program.
>>>>>             >         Sara
>>>>>             >         
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         
>>>>>             >         
>>>>>             >         Patrick Finch wrote:
>>>>>             >         > Hi Kaiwai,
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         > I think the biggest challenge you face in an
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         activity like this is
>>>>>             >         > that people will always be very reluctant to
>>>>>             >         certify to a code base. 
>>>>>             >         > Statements of compatibility will almost always be
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         made against
>>>>>             >         > specific binary distributions, rather than to
>>>>>             >         source code.
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         > Sara Dornsife has been looking into this in more
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         detail, and has also 
>>>>>             >         > been looking into an "ingredient button" style
>>>>>             >         programme, (such as
>>>>>             >         > "Intel inside" or the use of Tux to represent
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         Linux), but I don't
>>>>>             >         > think it is that straightforward, and at the
>>>>>             >         moment, we only have 
>>>>>             >         > what's called "fair use" of the OpenSolaris name
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         (i.e. you can call
>>>>>             >         > your distribution "based on OpenSolaris").
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         > If you can make any progress on these challenges,
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         it will indeed be 
>>>>>             >         > most valuable.
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         > best regards
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         > Patrick
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         >
>>>>>             >         > Kaiwai Gardiner wrote:
>>>>>             >         >> Hi,
>>>>>             >         >>
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         >> Given my limited programming skills, I thought it
>>>>>             >         would be best to 
>>>>>             >         >> contribute in a way which I could add 'value'.
>>>>>             >         >>
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         >> What I propose is a "works with", "OpenSolaris
>>>>>             >         compatible" programme
>>>>>             >         >> which is part information for customers, and part
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         promotional spot/plug 
>>>>>             >         >> for hardware vendors who either explicitly
>>>>>             >         support our hardware through
>>>>>             >         >> providing drivers, implicitly by the provision of
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         specifications or work
>>>>>             >         >> 'out of the box' due to the nature of the device
>>>>>             >         itself - for example, 
>>>>>             >         >> an mp3 player that uses UMS rather than a
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         proprietary database like
>>>>>             >         >> structure such as an iPod.
>>>>>             >         >>
>>>>>             >         >> The benefits will be two fold; firstly, customers
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         who wish to run
>>>>>             >         >> OpenSolaris will have a list of hardware which
>>>>>             >         they can choose from 
>>>>>             >         >> which is compatible 'out of the box' - ranging
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         from chipsets to mp3
>>>>>             >         >> players.
>>>>>             >         >>
>>>>>             >         >> The benefit to hardware vendors will be that they
>>>>>             >         will have a visible
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         >> presence in the OpenSolaris 'community'
>>>>>             >         communication board as a form of 
>>>>>             >         >> marketing; making their hardware more desirable
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         over others,and thus
>>>>>             >         >> push up sales of those companies willing to
>>>>>             >         help/support the OpenSolaris
>>>>>             >         >> community.
>>>>>             >         >>
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         >> I'm in the process of working out a programme,
>>>>>             >         and will most a much more 
>>>>>             >         >> detailed out line of it; but I thought it would
>>>>>             >         be best to give a 'heads
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         >> up' and whether the 'OpenSolaris' community as a
>>>>>             >         whole are willing to
>>>>>             >         >> get behind this programme as part of the over all
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         marketing push. 
>>>>>             >         >>
>>>>>             >         >> Awaiting replies and input,
>>>>>             >         >>
>>>>>             >         >> Kaiwai Gardiner
>>>>>
>>>>>             >         >>
>>>>>             >         >> _______________________________________________
>>>>>             >         >> opensolaris-mktg mailing list
>>>>>             >         >> 
>>>>>     opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org <mailto:opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org>
>>>>>             >         > _______________________________________________
>>>>>             >         > opensolaris-mktg mailing list
>>>>>             >         > 
>>>>>     opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org <mailto:opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org> 
>>>>>             > 
>>>>>
>>>>>     _______________________________________________
>>>>>     opensolaris-mktg mailing list
>>>>>
>>>>>     opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org <mailto:opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org>
>>>>>         
>>>>>             
>>>     _______________________________________________
>>>     opensolaris-mktg mailing list
>>>     opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org
>>>      <mailto:opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org>
>>>         
>
>     _______________________________________________
>     opensolaris-mktg mailing list
>     opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org
>     <mailto:opensolaris-mktg at opensolaris.org>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.opensolaris.org/pipermail/opensolaris-mktg/attachments/20070320/c07ed8eb/attachment-0001.html


More information about the opensolaris-mktg mailing list