RTL2831U kernel driver

RTL2831U kernel driver

[Vic]

Hi All.

Sorry for the breach of netiquette - I'm not subscribed to the list
(please CC: me on anything important!), but I'm not really up to much a s
a kernel contributor...

Anyway - here's the reason for my posting. I've got a kernel driver for
the RTL2831U device (a DVB-T device) from Realtek. Just this morning, I
got an email from them agreeing to release it under GPL.

It currently has no copright notices at all - I think I should add Realtek
attributions to it.

Then what should I do?

Vic.

Re: RTL2831U kernel driver

[Alan Cox]

> Anyway - here's the reason for my posting. I've got a kernel driver for
> the RTL2831U device (a DVB-T device) from Realtek. Just this morning, I
> got an email from them agreeing to release it under GPL.
> 
> It currently has no copright notices at all - I think I should add Realtek
> attributions to it.
> 
> Then what should I do?

That would depend who wrote it.

If they wrote it then yes it would be good to add that information and
the GPLv3 and a note about the email permission to release. If you wrote
it then its a matter of thanking them/whatever as appropriate.

Either way it would be good if a copy of the agreement email went
(privately) to the Linux Foundation so its on record should there ever be
questions, and possibly to Linus as well.

And thanks appear in order to Realtek.

Alan

Re: RTL2831U kernel driver

[Alan Cox]

> If they wrote it then yes it would be good to add that information and
> the GPLv3 and a note about the email permission to release. If you wrote
> it then its a matter of thanking them/whatever as appropriate.

Unfortunately confusing typo - GPL v2 of course 8)

Re: RTL2831U kernel driver

[Vic]

> That would depend who wrote it.
>
> If they wrote it then yes it would be good to add that information and
> the GPLv3 and a note about the email permission to release.

They wrote it.

> Either way it would be good if a copy of the agreement email went
> (privately) to the Linux Foundation so its on record should there ever be
> questions, and possibly to Linus as well.

Well that's just fine - anyone care to tell me how to do that :-) I've
never been in this sort of position before...

> And thanks appear in order to Realtek.

Well yes. I've thanked them - but I'd also like to see them get some
community recognition. I see this as an important step...

> Wouldn't it possible to ask them to release it themselves to the lkml
> with proper attribution (and, as they see fit, with or without support) ?

I don't think it'd be wise to go down that path; I didn't even manage to
get a datasheet out of them (which is how this all started). They've sent
me the code, they've given permission to release it under the GPL - let's
just get on with disseminating it.

So - how to I submit it?

Vic.

Re: RTL2831U kernel driver

[Alan Cox]

> So - how to I submit it?

For the legal/email bits: Start at
http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/Technical_Advisory_Board_(TAB)

For the code you might want start by talking to

Michael Wu <flamingice@sourmilk.net> and Andrea Merello
<andreamrl@tiscali.it> who did the cleanup for the Realtek 8187 device
from Realtek reference code.

Also the wireless maintainer: John Linville (linville@tuxdriver.com)
although I suspect he'll be busy eating turkey right now.

Alan

Re: RTL2831U kernel driver

[Mauro Carvalho Chehab]

Em Qui, 2007-11-22 às 12:33 +0000, Vic escreveu:
> Hi All.
> 
> Sorry for the breach of netiquette - I'm not subscribed to the list
> (please CC: me on anything important!), but I'm not really up to much a s
> a kernel contributor...
> 
> Anyway - here's the reason for my posting. I've got a kernel driver for
> the RTL2831U device (a DVB-T device) from Realtek. Just this morning, I
> got an email from them agreeing to release it under GPL.
> 
> It currently has no copright notices at all

Kernel is GPLv2. So, the driver should be released under GPLv2 only or
GPLv2 or later.

>  - I think I should add Realtek attributions to it.

I would be better if someone from Realtek could send the driver. Anyway,
any driver submitted to kernel should be signed with a SOB. 

There's a guide on how to submit a driver to kernel. For convenience,
they are briefly summarized at
http://linuxtv.org/v4lwiki/index.php/How_to_submit_patches

> Then what should I do?

It would be nice if you can subscribe to Linux DVB mailing [1] list and
post the driver there. The list is open to users and to developers, so,
maybe it would be interesting for you to participate there.

[1] http://www.linuxtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/linux-dvb

If you are not willing to subscribe to DVB ML, please copy V4L/DVB
maintainers mailing list[2] on this subject. This list allows you to
post even not being a subscriber.

[2] v4l-dvb-maintainer@linuxtv.org

It is important to submit the driver either to DVB or V4L/DVB
maintainers ML, since this will allow all developers to take a look at
the driver, checking for eventual issues, and helping to improve it.
Several developers are not subscribed to LKML (or don't read it
regularly).
 
Cheers,
Mauro

Re: RTL2831U kernel driver

[Loïc Grenié]

> I've got a kernel driver for the RTL2831U device (a DVB-T device)
> from Realtek. Just this morning, I got an email from them agreeing
> to release it under GPL.

> It currently has no copright notices at all - I think I should add
> Realtek attributions to it.

> Then what should I do?

    Wouldn't it possible to ask them to release it themselves to the lkml
  with proper attribution (and, as they see fit, with or without support) ?

      Loïc Grenié