How and why to work with the Linux kernel community
Linux driver development model, bad case timeline


Hardware vendor produces and ships hardware 
Users end up getting that hardware without any Linux support
Somebody will start a driver and inquire about HW docs
Hardware vendor doesn't release docs
If hardware is popular enough, somebody will start reverse engineering and driver deevlopment
With some luck, the driver is actually useable or even finished before the HW product is EOL