Tim Newsham wrote:
This could be win for linux, but could turn out to be a lose for
other platforms. Many vendors are inclined to provide binary-only
drivers. This would definitely aid the vast linux community but
might make it harder for other operating system communities to
convince vendors to provide the information needed to write drivers
for their platform. Lets hope the pressure encourages the release
of technical information that enables open source driver development.
Tim Newsham
http://www.lava.net/~newsham/
Apple took BSD and turned it into arguably the most user-friendly
desktop OS (at least definitely better than Microsoft Windows). Sun's
Solaris desktop, while received very little attention locally, runs
smoother than any Linux-based desktop I have seen for business use.
Both of these examples involve ability of specific vendors to provide
optimized drivers and fuse them to the kernel. Intel's move should
remove this one of the most serious handicaps of Linux. (Of course
Intel will not be able to include its proprietary drivers in the kernel,
but you can bet that most distros will be happy to include Intel's
drivers.) A new issue then arises, will this cause Linux to be turned
into an Intel-dominated or even Intel-monopolized platform? I share
your concern.
The August issue of Linux Format has a special section on the recent
revolutionary changes made in X. I have not had time to digest it, but
it is a highly recommended reading. From my own experience, I don't
think the hardware makers in Taiwan will be willing to share their specs
(and they really shouldn't). But Intel's move is going to force them to
face the Linux issue. Finally! Wayne
