Civileme <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> David Aspinall wrote:
>
> > > By doing such things you do not respect linux philosophy.
> >
> > Sigh. Some of us may have bought or inherited the hardware already.
> > It's no use saying go out and buy another card.
>
> Then do what is the proper thing, help reverse engineer a driver. It is
> nonsense to have a stable system break down because an unknown binary is
> attached and messing things up. And unlike an application program that
> can be (and is) jailed away from the op system core--the driver is not.
> It just makes sense to refuse to accept secret drivers and to assure
> what you do have is audited for stability, which cannot be done with a
> bare binary.
>
> The one closed driver I remember is for the intel 740, but that was done
> by RedHat after signing a non-disclosure agreement with intel.
> I haven't seen RH repeat that practice.
>
> And it is difficult for one to stand by with supposedly the highest
> performance card around and be unable to use it, but there is always
> windows. When I go hardware hunting, I seek stability, linux
> compatibility (with open-source drivers), and features in that order.
> Manufacturers like Diamond who show a high degree of corporate
> anal-retentiveness are rejected out of hand, regardless of what they
> have in terms of features. I like to be able to USE what I have. If
> features and performance were most important, I might have been wooed by
> the G4 processor and be using a MAC. But their closed system puts me
> way way off. I don't care to have what is on my computer or what I add
> or how I use it dictated to me by manufacturers, not when I can get to
> the source and modify it to my needs, and I will go to great lengths to
> maintain that freedom.
>
> So, if you have the hardware, you can do a valuable service to yourself
> and others by joining an open-source driver project, or starting one,
> for that furschlugginer card. Look around on web pages with a search
> engine, or check newsgroups, or thumb through the listings at
> sourceforge. We are not helpless users to be served, here, we are
> people who can and will seize control over our own lives and protect our
> own freedoms.
>
> That's my .50 worth for what the linux/open-source philosophy means to
> me.
Thanks, this perfectly reflect my opinion.
--
-- Yoann, http://www.mandrakesoft.com/~yoann/
It is well known that M$ products don't call free() after a malloc().
The Unix community wish them good luck for their future developments.
