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pc_engines/faq.md: extend PC Engines faq #938

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53 changes: 50 additions & 3 deletions docs/variants/pc_engines/faq.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -8,9 +8,7 @@ Dasharo's release cycle and testing scope.

1. **Upcoming BIOS Version:**
The next BIOS version that you will be able to install will most likely be
tagged as 24.02.01.01. There is a possibility that this might shift to base on
coreboot 24.05, then it would be called 24.05.01, due to the recent change in
the coreboot versioning scheme. For detailed insights into the versioning
tagged as 24.08.00.01. For detailed insights into the versioning
scheme, please refer to the coreboot release notes here: [Coreboot Release Notes](https://doc.coreboot.org/releases/coreboot-24.02-relnotes.html?highlight=releases#release-number-format-update)
as well as discussion about [Dasharo Versioning](https://github.com/Dasharo/dasharo-issues/issues/762).

Expand All @@ -37,3 +35,52 @@ which occurred on 2024-04-02.

If you are interested, please contact us at [email protected] and provide your
order number.

## The Dasharo (coreboot+UEFI) version is 0.9.x. Does this mean it is still in beta?

No, our policy for versioning is that we never release 1.x.y as a first
release. We cannot validate it at the mass production readiness level.
Validation results are always linked on the release page, or you can find those
directly in [Google
Sheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wSE6xA3K3nXewwLn5lV39_2wZL1kg5AkGb4mvmG3bwE/edit#gid=1670191276).
We switch to v1.x.y when volume reaches critical mass, and we can assure there
is a certain level of compatibility and long enough time passed to report most
critical issues.

You should always check test results and decide if you need an updated firmware
version and if provided results cover your workload. We don't know your
workload, so we cannot production readiness level. Current test results can be
good enough for one customer to run production workloads. It may be
insufficient for others and would be considered beta. We are happy to extend
our test scope to cover more cases. Let us know about your use case in
[dasharo-issues](https://github.com/Dasharo/dasharo-issues).

## Why is Dasharo (coreboot+SeaBIOS) more expensive than Dasharo (coreboot+UEFI)?

There are many reasons for that. Most importantly, more resources are needed to
maintain code and releases. First, we have a fork of
[SeaBIOS](https://github.com/pcengines/seabios). Second, we have
[sortbootorder](https://github.com/pcengines/sortbootorder) depends on coreboot
toolchain changes and libpayload. Third, tests are in legacy infrastructure
with ongoing migration to
[OSFV](https://github.com/Dasharo/open-source-firmware-validation); even if
migrated, we have too little Dasharo (coreboot+SeaBIOS) supported hardware to
benefit from the effect of scale because Dasharo (coreboot+SeaBIOS) components
do not easily benefit from Dasharo (coreboot+UEFI) changes price have to be
higher.

Dasharo (coreboot+SeaBIOS) was 50% discounted for quite some time before its
first release.

We understand that it can be expensive for individual customers, so we are
always open to providing discounts for those who contribute to the project
meaningfully. There are the following tiers eligible for discounts up to 100%:
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* [Beta
Testers](https://docs.dasharo.com/ways-you-can-help-us/#join-dasharo-beta-testing-group)
- 100% discount for the time of being active Beta Tester.
* Top 5 active members on [Dasharo
Matrix](https://matrix.to/#/#dasharo:matrix.org) and [Dasharo Github
Issues](https://github.com/Dasharo/dasharo-issues)- 100% discount for 1 year.
* Code contributors, testers, and issue reporters - depends on severity and
size of contributions.
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion docs/ways-you-can-help-us.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ General".
## Join Dasharo Beta Testing Group

Dasharo Beta Testing Group is a group of users who help make Dasharo better. They
are willing to flash their devicies with Release Candidates (RC) firmware binaries
are willing to flash their devices with Release Candidates (RC) firmware binaries
and provide test results by reporting issues or confirming fixes.

Members of this community will have access to invite-only Dasharo Space channel,
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