Re: Broadcom BCM4306/BCM2050 support

[Stuffed Crust <pizza@shaftnet.org>]

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On Tue, Apr 29, 2003 at 02:51:12PM +0200, bas.mevissen@hetnet.nl wrote:
> > Don't expect specs or opensource drivers for any of these pieces
> > of hardware until these vendors figure out a way to hide the frequency
> > programming interface.
> 
> What did Intersil do? How did the linux-wlan-ng project handle this?

The linux-wlan-ng project only handles the prism2/2.5/3 chipsets, which 
are *extremely* well documented (and 2.4G-only), so there really isn't 
anything to "handle"; from the driver perspective  you just say "give 
me channel X" and that's it.   If the eeprom-based tables say you can 
use the channel, it lets you; otherwise it's No Soup For You.  

Intersil is a poor example; they've generally been quite forthcoming
with documentation.  Granted, the docs for the PrismGT/etc stuff are
pretty bad, but you can get them without selling your soul. 

(it's also worth mentioning that Intersil partially funded
linux-wlan-ng's development)
 
RF tables and regulation might be an excuse chipset companies use to
hide their specs, but the real reasons tend to be a bit more along the
lines of:

"We want to protect our valuable IP"

...which translates to:

"We want to protect our violations of other people's valuable IP"

It's CYA, plain and simple.  They're so terrified of litigation that 
they feel that *any* semi-public information (even if only source code) 
is a threat. 

Many of them genuinely want to provide Linux support, in the form of
binary drivers much like Windows has.  Then they balk when realizing
what a support hell (and $$$) it will be to pull it off without
providing source code, thanks to the monolothic nature of the Linux
kernel. 

Or at least that's been my experience in the past year.

 - Pizza
-- 
Solomon Peachy                                   pizza@f*cktheusers.org
                                                           ICQ #1318444
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur                 Melbourne, FL

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