How to port ppc-linux to new custom boards? (virtexII)

[David Ho]

> > Finally, do not overestimate the commercial support, to my experience;
> > the collaborative mailing lists are often as good if not better to
point
> > you in the correct direction due to the diverse expertises of the ppl
on
> > the list.
>
> Correct.
>
> I'd like to add, though, that commercial support is somthing you payed
for,
> and which you can *claim*, so IMHO you shouldn't underestimate it. A
> guaranteed support line can be very critical at certain stages of your
> project.
>

Sorry to stick my nose in your discussion, but I have a strong opinion on
commerial support.  Working in a small company, we have never gotten the
level of commitment we would expect from companies like ISI (vendor of
pSOS) and Timesys.  You can get the basic installation support fine.  But
when you need to get into the nitty gritty detail their value is a lot less
compared to mailing lists.

The way I see it is being large commercial OS vendor that they are, they
seem to funnel their resource to the big customers who are willing to pay
the big bucks to get stuff done.

When choosing commercial support, one critical factor is their customer
base.  Big fish don't go after the tiny ticks in the sea, they go for
seals.  And you really have to find the right sized OS vender to give you
the attention you need.

Regards,
David Ho
Nanometrics Inc.


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