A Set Of Obscure Drivers Out-Of-Tree Since Linux 2.x Will See Mainline For Linux 5.2

[phoronix]

Phoronix: A Set Of Obscure Drivers Out-Of-Tree Since Linux 2.x Will See Mainline For Linux 5.2

Should you have any Daktronics scoreboards, video displays, or digital billboards, mainline Linux kernel support is in the works...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Daktronics-Staging-5.2

[Adarion]

Sometimes I see drivers during kernel menuconfig and I wonder what they're good for. Never heard of the stuff before, but this one (even though it was out of tree yet) is a nice example what things are driven by the penguin.

[schmidtbag]

Sometimes I see drivers during kernel menuconfig and I wonder what they're good for. Never heard of the stuff before, but this one (even though it was out of tree yet) is a nice example what things are driven by the penguin.

Or rather, this is a nice example of what could've been driven by the penguin all these years, but wasn't because of lacking drivers.

[Niarbeht]

Or rather, this is a nice example of what could've been driven by the penguin all these years, but wasn't because of lacking drivers.

Given how long they've been available out-of-tree, I'm guessing that they have been driven by Linux that long, but the companies that write software for these devices just haven't been able to get mainlined for now.

ZFS is out of tree, for example, but that doesn't mean a whole lot of zpools aren't driven by Linux.

[Jumbotron]

As someone who has 23+ years in video production with nearly 10 years in outdoor production some of which included using Daktronic displays I find this development quite exciting if not near spectacular! Of course just because this code will FINALLY be mainlined and is still a bit of a mess going in doesn't necessarily mean that Daktronic control software and graphic controllers based in Linux will suddenly bloom like a thousand flowers. HOWEVER, the fact that this code involves the Industry "Jumbotron" leader AND will be mainlined COULD spur Linux based solutions now AND could influence other Large Display manufacturers to do the same.

This may be an obscure, niche development but I for one find it quite exciting and further proof that Linux soldiers on not only as a competitive alternative to Windows or Mac but a SUPERIOR alternative!

[starshipeleven]

Or rather, this is a nice example of what could've been driven by the penguin all these years, but wasn't because of lacking drivers.

If you think embedded devices run kernels even close to mainline I have news for you.

[sdack]

Seems indeed unusually late. I would have assumed some Linux geeks would be running Daktronics displays just for the number of beers left in the fridge or how often the word "foo" appears in the kernel sources.

[Ronshere]

Why can't drivers like these be flatpaked instead? It would eliminate bloat

[sdack]

Why can't drivers like these be flatpaked instead? It would eliminate bloat

What bloat?! Do you even work on the kernel?

[starshipeleven]

Why can't drivers like these be flatpaked instead? It would eliminate bloat

well played. Very well played.