[linux-dvb] Re: Call for the driver developers

[Carsten Koch <Carsten.Koch@icem.de>]

Axel Gruber wrote:
....
> For Example: Channel switching - everyone knows that the driver shut down if you make heavy channel-Switching - they say - that there is no problem known...

This problem has been known for over half a year now.
For example, on February 4th, I posted the message attached
below. There were 10 replies to my posting, the summary being
that this driver bug can be worked around by disabling the
EPG scan feature. None of the 10 replies came from the driver
developers, so I guess you are right: they ignored this bug.



> The second thing: the Guys of Convergence say that they develop the driver for Commercial SET-TO-BOXES - at this point i only can laugh (lachen) - because with the stability of the driver - they will sell only 1 BOX - they will get it back after 5 Day´s.

In December 2000, I wrote in a private e-mail:

"...schlicht nicht genug Zeit haben, den DVB-Details 
 volle Aufmerksamkeit zu widmen. Ich empfinde das als verwirrend, 
 weil ich nicht verstehe, wie die Nokia-Kooperation ohne einen 
 zuegig vollendeten driver ein Erfolg werden soll."

("...simply do not have enough time to give the driver
  details their full attention. I feel confused by that,
  because I do not understand, how the Nokia-cooperation
  can become a success without a rapidly completed driver.")

Well, I am still confused. I totally agree with you, Axel,
that a driver/firmware which crashes often may be
acceptable as an open source project for a while, 
it may even be the rule in a Microsoft software product,
but it will definitely be unacceptable in a commercial
Hifi equipment such as a set top box. I would not wait
5 days before I return a VCR that malfunctions sometimes. 
I would return it right away.

And of course it's looking worse (at least in my eyes)
today than it did 8 months ago, because much time has
passed, but the stability still has not reached commercial
quality.

And look at all the time Klaus had to spend implementing 
workarounds such as the watchdog timer.
It would be funny if it were not so sad.


> OK - perhaps i´m now on some "red bann lists" but i have to say this - i thought long about this....

I believe constructive criticism (including any kind of
bug report that contains a reproducible test case) is a
valuable contribution. 
At least I am grateful for all bug reports against my
software that contain a reproducible test case.
Also, I always try to fix known bugs first before I
implement new features. Sometimes it is hard to defend
that against the management, but I usually succeed. ;-)



Carsten.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [linux-dvb] Problems with vdr 0.7 and driver 0.81.
Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 13:06:12 MEZ
From: Carsten Koch <Carsten.Koch@icem.de>
Organization: ICEM Technologies GmbH
To: dvb <linux-dvb@linuxtv.org>

Since I installed vdr 0.7 and driver 0.81, the driver only
works reasonably for about 4 hours after each reload. 
Immediadely after a reload, I can record, play back, switch
channels, use the OSD just fine.

After I leave the thing alone for a while, I see all kinds
of strange effects. One of them has been described by Guido
in his previous post.

Another one is that vdr starts putting
          ERROR: channel <n> not sync'ed (front.sync=0)!
messages into /var/log/messages about once every 5 seconds 
and the driver starts putting messages like these
          kernel: commandrequest error
          kernel: dvb: filter shutdown error :0
          kernel: outcommand error 1
          kernel: commandrequest error
          kernel: dvb: ARM RESET
          kernel: dvb: filter shutdown error :0
          kernel: dvb: filter shutdown error :65535
into /var/log/messages about once every 20 minutes.

Needless to say that recording, etc. stops working of course
once the system starts putting these messages into the log.

Is anyone else seeing this?

I am using 2 dvb-s cards and kernel 2.216.

Carsten.


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