In message <[email protected]>, 
Josephblack writes:
> Our front page does not adequately explain why we need an open
> graphics card. Here are a few problems I have seen with helping those
> who insist upon nvida cards and closed drivers:
> 
> You cannot always update the kernel when you like. How you like.
> no one can alter it, debug it nor fix it.
> You have given up your freedoms over your own computer.
> 
> Please list what problems you see with using proprietary cards: What about 
> ATI?
> for example: Andy mentioned in the past, their bios restricts how it is used.

Binary drivers have many problems:

-  Some cause data loss in unrelated parts of the system.

-  Some have security holes.

-  Some have bugs.

-  None support the variety of OSes and CPU architectures we need.  For
   example, NetBSD supports 59 platforms.

-  Even if they provide a binary driver for your OS/CPU, it probably doesn't
   support all the hardware features.

Even proprietary chips that are getting documented have problems:

-  We need hardware video decoding.  ATI has not documented UVD/UVD2, and
   might not ever document it.  OGP doesn't have hardware video decoding
   yet, but when it does it will be documented.

-  ATI doesn't support sync-on-green.  (And probably doesn't support composite
   sync either.)

-  OGP will support using a TV as system console.

None of these problems can be fixed by the end user.  Any one of them
could be a total show stopper.

--------------

Joseph, re your recent email.  They broke gmail and it no longer accepts
mail from me.  I haven't had any ideas for posters, sorry.
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