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

Andreas Mohr
2006-03-09T12:13:53Z

Hi,

On Thu, Mar 09, 2006 at 12:22:59PM +0100, DervishD wrote:
> Not exactly kernel related, but anyway: I wrote almost a month
> ago to Menarini Diagnostics. They make glucometers, and the latest
> model they sell can be connected to the PC with a special cable. Of
> course, Windows.

[...]

> I haven't got any answer from them. I can use other glucometer,
> of course, but this one is, IMHO, the best one in the market and I
> don't think any other vendor would give me specs for their products.
Possibly you wrote one mail only?
Then try again... they might easily be too busy or whatever.

> And please note that I'm not talking about all the specifications
> of the glucometer: they can keep secret the way the glucometer makes
> the measurements, I don't give a heck about that. I only want the
> *communication* specs, so I'm able to retrieve data from the
> glucometer through the cable (which is USB, AFAIK, so probably it
> won't need a new driver).
Be certain to use libusb if possible instead of a new USB driver
(which you seem to indicate properly above)

> I don't know how much Menarini paid for the Windows version of
> the software. Probably more than the entire Linux kernel will cost to
> produce in its entire life. The cost of a Linux version for them will
> be a cable and a PDF document of the communication specification,
> which probably will be a known protocol. They don't want to do it
> because: a) they don't understand a word of the open source movement
> and how it can be used to save money; or b) they're so stupid,
> stubborn and money avid that won't do anything that doesn't involve
> money, even if the money goes out of their own pockets!
You're talking strange things here.
"Probably more than the entire Linux kernel will cost to produce in its
entire life" - yah, right!
And you're jumping to conclusions and resorting to name calling
about their (non-)behaviour.

Andreas Mohr