[meta-freescale] Please review the proposal of FSL Yocto layers reorg

[McClintock Matthew-B29882]

On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 10:06 AM, Eric Bénard <eric at eukrea.com> wrote:
> Hi Matthew,
>
> Le Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:39:49 +0000,
> McClintock Matthew-B29882 <B29882 at freescale.com> a écrit :
>
>> On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 8:32 AM, Bob Cochran <yocto at mindchasers.com> wrote:
>> > Can we get a statement in the Yocto layers reorg doc on how each SDK branch
>> > will be maintained between SDK releases?  As a developer working to get
>> > products out the door, will I view the patched SDK branch (between releases)
>> > as a bug fixed SDK or as an experimental branch for the next SDK release?
>>
>> I understand the sentiment but I don't think we can guarantee anything
>> here. This is all done for free after all. I understand that's not a
>> great answer but there are always limited resources spread around.
>>
> that may be done for free but don't you think that providing up to date
> software support for its components is a good added value for a company
> which makes money by selling components like Freescale ?

Which is why we are here doing what we do...

> You have a great interest in having as much people as possible using
> your components to get money from them.
> You can make the life of developers easier by having master _and_
> stable branches up to date (with a big warning in the ReadMe concerning
> the fact peoples using the git branches get _community_ support and not
> official support you may provide on your official release which can be
> downloaded from your website).

Which is pretty much what we do...

> So you can make happy both peoples who need stability to release their
> products asap (and may benefit from the latest fixes not yet released
> in the official release) and peoples who want to test the bleeding edge
> software for more long term projects (and also happy users from the
> community which are also contributing for free).

Which is what the SDK is for and the community stuff is for...

> So in the end you give a few for free but in the end you save a lot :
> - by getting free feedback from many peoples who can use you up to
>   date branches (and that's on a community mailing list so you don't
>   have to answer to every problems peoples may ask and can redirect
>   them to their Freescale/distributor FAE),

I agree.

> - by getting free fixes from bleeding edge (and stable branches) users,
> - by having community peoples supporting themselves through the mailing
>   lists.

I agree.

> You are then using and producing free software in a very positive
> way and are in a win win relation with the community and your customers'
> developers who can subscribe to the mailing list to joing the community.

I agree.

I think you misinterpreted the intent of my statement, the goal is to
provide the best support we can for the open source versions and get
feedback as well. However, specifically stating what will be done for
each release, branch, layer, etc is not something that is a
deliverable on the open source end and I don't see it happening soon.
That being said, there is no malicious intent and supporting upstream
and making it work as well as possible is the ultimate goal so our SDK
release requires less effort and work.

-M