Re: [future of drivers?] a proposal for binary drivers.

Jan Knutar
2006-03-08T09:51:37Z

On Wednesday 08 March 2006 11:35, Anshuman Gholap wrote:

> linux installed, i go digicam not working on linux, webcam not working

I thought cameras in general did usb masstorage thing and thus
worked with anything?

> countable on hands but cannot be held countable for work cause they do
> it as hobby/"insert anything which says working for free", now for a

Actually quite alot of them do it for work, including Torvalds and Cox.

> peice of code like linux kernel, such kind of aloofness regarding
> manpower and kind_of nazism in not allowing others to dynamically
> get_work_done (like binary driver) seems totally wrong.

Unfortunately the license (GPL) was chosen along time ago and can't
really be changed at this point.

> 2) there are two possibilities here, a) linus and co can gather in a
> building pay all intellects and allow fast driver developments, b)
> allow binary drivers to work with linux kernel dynamically(with their
> own license what they choose).

The real question is: Why do binary-only drivers need to exist?

> b) ofcourse is like china accepting democracy cause that the only way
> to continue living, but although it sounds that extreme, i can see
> ONLY THAT to happen sooner or later when one day linus is not part of
> the team controlling linux kernel, so why not start to make it happen
> right now and shape it the way it can be benificial to everyone?

GPL.

You could try direct your efforts at *BSD which has a more liberal
licensing policy.
Microsoft, for example, has a version of .NET for FreeBSD, but not
for Linux. Presumably because of the license differences.

> like there is mm kernel we can have kernel-dri-2.*** which the desktop
> users can use knowingly that third party drivers can work with mixture
> of lincenses. there even can be rating system for a company which can
> be rated for their quality of drivers, so the users know before hand.

Already in place. The "Tainted" flag.

In general: Binary drivers == bad.
After that, there are several levels of bad...

Besides... Looking at Win64, it looks like hardware manufacturers
have problems coming up with drivers... If they had done them
open-source for Linux or any other opensource operating system
in the first place, they'd most likely have less problems with the 64
bit transition right now.... Binary-only just hurts everyone.

> This email is very raw and not polished at all, this is just a bunch
> of thoughts which has came to my head

The same here.