Re: Why is Nvidia given GPL'd code to use in closed source drivers?

Jesse Pollard
2003-01-08T15:27:50Z

On Wednesday 08 January 2003 06:28 am, Mark Hounschell wrote:
> Helge Hafting wrote:
> > Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu wrote:
> > > On Tue, 07 Jan 2003 10:08:00 +0100, Helge Hafting
<helgehaf@aitel.hist.no> said:
> > > > loss. Giving away driver code (or at least programming specs)
> > > > wouldn't be a loss to nvidia though - because users would still
> > > > need to buy those cards.
> > >
> > > It would be a major loss to nvidia *AND* its customers if it were
> > > bankrupted in a lawsuit because it open-sourced code or specs that
> > > contained intellectual property that belonged to somebody else.
> >
> > Perhaps their driver contains some IP. But I seriously doubt the
> > programming specs for their chips contains such secrets. It is
> > not as if we need the entire chip layout - it is basically
> > things like:
> >
> > "To achieve effect X, write command code 0x3477 into register 5
> > and the new coordinates into registers 75-78. Then wait 2.03ms before
> > attempting to access the chip again..."
> >
> > Something is very wrong if they _can't_ release that sort of
> > information.
> > Several other manufacturers have no problem with this.
>
> Aren't nvidias' chipsets really owned by SGI. It think there is some deal
> nvidia has with SGI that prohibits nvidia from opening up their driver and
> chip set info. It's looking like SGI might be gone soon. Maybe if they
> disappear, nvidia can do what they want???

Think they sold it to Microsoft....

--
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Jesse I Pollard, II
Email: pollard@navo.hpc.mil

Any opinions expressed are solely my own.