Ubuntu Kernel Conribuitions

[Martin Owens]

My 2 pence worth:

2008/9/22 (``-_-´´) -- Fernando <ubuntu at bugabundo.net>:
> First, I'm sorry for the cross posting, but this subject concerns both areas.
>
> I've been attending several distros users meeting this last year, and had my last one at OpenSuse ENOS08 [1].
> In every meeting I go, I keep hearing that Ubuntu/Canonical does not help the GNU/Linux ecosystem by providing patchs.
> Me, and other Ubunteros present, always try to show that that is not true, and show them several examples of what is being done.
> Just this week, I emailed OpenSuse-pt users list showing an kernel patch example and a possible reason for why they dont see many Ubuntu entries: lots of the Core DEVs use their employer's email, Canonical.
>
> Then a user replied back with [2]. As I was reading I noticed the ironic way the writer was using, and I would like to know if this is FUD, or if actually Ubuntu/Canonical FOSS ecosystem is as small as those numbers show.
>
> Thanks in advance, and lets keep making the best FOSS OS, the best it can be.

Regardless of how small a contribution comes directly from Canonical
in terms of employees; We must decide if this is a debate worth having
in the first place.

Ubuntu comunitiy developers and Canonical's employees only have so
much time and energy. A call for reform is valid only when the
problems are just systematic of the way we integrate with upstream.
But to call for more work and more devotion is as invalid as _forcing_
volunteers to take on more work.

This discussion is therefore invalid by being a question of number of
resources available and not a discussion of integration with upstream.
The format the issue was brought up in wasn't the most useful or
constructive either and I think GregKH should have had a bit more
maturity with how he handled it.

Regards, Martin