[linux-dvb] Future of Multiproto

[Steven Toth]

Johannes Stezenbach wrote:
> On Sun, Oct 07, 2007, Artem Makhutov wrote:
>   
>> I am wondering about the future of the Multiproto API.
>>     
>
> me too -- thanks for asking
>
>   
>> Will the Multiproto API be part of the upcoming DVB-API, is it just a
>> short time solution to make the DVB-S2 devices work or is Multiproto the
>> new DVB-API?
>>     
>
> For a long time I believed the API was basically agreed upon
> and Manu and IIRC Steve were implementing drivers. Once the
> drivers were ready (and thus proved the API works) the whole
> thing would've been merged.
>
> But I lost track of the "DVB API update" thread. Maybe
> Manu and Steve could fill us in what their conclusion of this
> thread was and what the plan is now.
>
>   

Johannes / Manu,

I'm actually pretty sad about the whole situation. The HVR4000 has been 
done for over a year, probably much more. Support for this product in 
the main v4l-dvb repository is stuck behind the multiproto tree, and 
that's going nowhere. People have been using the HVR4000 and multiproto 
patches with success, although more widespread thorough testing is 
always a good thing.

Manu,

I've pinged and pushed you on a number of occasions to publish an 
updated tree via hg on linuxtv and for various political reasons this 
has never happened. I think you made yourself pretty clear via private 
communications, and via the public DVB API thread.Without re-visiting 
(or-reigniting) those flames and bad feelings, I think it's clear to me 
that the future of multiproto being maintained and managed in the 
linuxtv/hg tree is not going to happen.

I've offered to help by performing the merge, organizing testing and 
pushing the work to conclusion (final merge), but that doesn't appease 
you. I'm not writing this email from spite, I'm simply trying to help 
you, me and the rest of the community. But, either you have different 
plans for the patches or you'll give me the OK - here in this thread - 
to take your patches and begin working on them freely via linuxtv.org/hg

Unless this happens, I repeat, I cannot see a future where the 
multiproto patches will be merged (after traditional peer review) into 
the main v4l-dvb repository. In which case, I believe, the patches are 
worthless. I really appreciate your efforts, but the patch is foundering 
and its been having a negative impact on the community for a very long time.

All other suggested mechanisms for bringing multiproto into the kernel 
are unacceptable to me, and will only serve to highlight the obvious 
differences of opinion we have between various developers in the group.

For that reason, unless the situation changes, I'm going to withdraw the 
HVR4000 tree pending a complete rewrite of the driver with no dependency 
on multiproto.

If you point me at your latest code drop, I'll take it build a tree and 
begin driving the patch, saving you all the trouble. If you have other 
plans then I think you should state them here and now, for the record.

Damn, I wish you'd just let me help and ignore the politics.

- Steve