Re: RH Support (WAS kernel-2.4.3-12+DM9102 available)

["Mike Chambers" <mike netlyncs com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "MikeV" <nospaams infospacemail com>
To: <seawolf-list redhat com>
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: kernel-2.4.3-12+DM9102 available.


>:>About your initial posting, all I can say is that it is my impression
>:>that you could have provided more info when contacting RH customer
>:>service.
>
> At the time about all I knew was it worked in 2.4.2 and did not work after
> up2date to 2.4.3 for a Davicom DM9102 controller. I guess I thought they
> would know which driver  was not included. Unfortunately, I am quite new
to
> this so did not know enough to ask the correct question. With the help of
> folks such as your self, I am learning.

I have to agree with Mike V here on this.  He said he did an up2date to
update his kernel, then his Davicom DM9102 controller for eth0 didnt' work.
I figured that is enough info as is and since the kernel is the key word
here, kernel devel folks should have been asked first if the initial support
folks didn't know on if his card was changed/updated/deleted or whatever
else with that newer version.

When at work if I am trying to install a software package and it doesn't
work, and I can't figure it out, I dont' go back to the person I'm trying ot
install the software for and tell them I don't know what it is and they will
have to try other means to get the software installed.  I give them an
update on progress and that I haven't forgotten about them and then I go
straight to department/person who did the packaging for that software and
find out what is up.

> In retrospect, I still would like to see the customer support web
interface
> changed. It is terrible. Also, I would also have preferred to have
customer
> support ask me specific questions about what it is they need to know. My
> configuration and packages profile was put on file when I registered. The
> bugzilla request that Chris posted would have been a good place for me to
> have started.

I agree here as well.  You should have been probed or something to find out
what the problem is so if they don't know themselves they at least can ask
the section/maintainers/whatever what could be the problem, in this case the
kernel section.  Now all of this of course is if you either paid for support
service or at least using what service yoru provided if you paid for the box
set of whatever version.

Actually if I was you, I would go and file a bug against support themselves
, call or email and let a manager or someone know what you went through and
what it took to solve your problem.  They may not have been able to solve
your problem like you did with Chris's help as it wasn't official but at
least they should have been able to tell you your card wasn't supported in
this kernel due to whatever reason and you may have to recompile the kernel
yourself and include it although it may not be supported if you do or
something to that affect.  At least then you knew where you stood at that
point and what you needed to do to get it working again.

You may can talk to Chris K on the side and ask who to refer a problem you
had with support to but I'd do that in private.  This list has nothing to do
with support officially so they can't really help you as far as how official
support works for RedHat.  Anyway, I'm not dogging and saying support is bad
but from what I saw it could be better.  I may use RH and I love it and
always tell people to use it and that I do and proud of it, but I won't
stroke it's head and say it's all that and a bag of chips either.  But at
least complain or suggest something so that it can be fixed or else it
won't.

Mike