In a message posted to the Linux kernel mailing list yesterday, kernel contributor Greg Koah-Hartman announced that kernel developers will be providing free Linux driver development services for companies. This service will help the Linux community create stronger relationships with hardware vendors while reducing the barriers that presently impede ubiquitous Linux hardware support.
Drivers created by the kernel developers at the request of hardware vendors will be included in the Linux kernel source tree so that they are included in mainstream Linux distributions and made available to end users. According to Kroah-Hartman, the offer is available for all sorts of hardware ranging "from USB toys to PCI video devices to high-speed networking cards."
In order to take advantage of this service, developers need only send specifications to the kernel development community and provide contact information for an engineer. The kernel developers are even willing to develop drivers without direct access to the hardware. Kroah-Hartman also states that the newly-formed Linux Foundation (previously Open Source Development Labs) will provide a legal framework for companies that require kernel developers to sign NDAs.
This is good news for hardware companies that want to provide Linux support but don't have the resources or expertise required to create proper drivers. It will hopefully decrease the need for reverse engineering in some contexts and could potentially decrease the amount of time between a release and the availability of Linux support for particular products.
Although this is a step in the right direction, it isn't a silver bullet. Some hardware companies are extremely secretive and very reluctant to embrace open-source driver support. The kernel development community's willingness to sign nondisclosure agreements could also potentially become a source of contention, since a vocal minority within the open-source community believe that NDAs represent an unacceptable abrogation of freedom. With luck, hardware companies will accept the offer and collaborate with the kernel development community to bring better hardware support to the Linux platform.
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