On Wed, Feb 14, 2007 at 10:06:36AM +0100, Stephan A. Rickauer wrote:
Greg KH wrote:
On Wed, Feb 14, 2007 at 08:39:36AM +0100, Stephan A. Rickauer wrote:
On the subject of http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/free_drivers.html
Now these companies have a great excuse to keep specs locked up tight
under NDA, while pretending to be open.
The OpenBSD project has been made clear more than once how this will
hurt Free Software in the long run. Signing NDA's ensures that Linux
gets a working driver, sure, but the internals are indistinguishable
from magic. It is a source code version of a blob.
I'm guessing that you did not read the followup FAQ about the program
at:
http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/free_drivers_faq.html
Please see the final question and answer on that page.
I did read your FAQ but I can't see how it rebuts what has just been
said.
You seem to have missed:
Q: What about the BSDs?
A: What about them? They are free to do whatever they wish, I
have no input into their development at all, sorry.
You seem to be happy with signing NDAs. If the result is a
readable and understandable GPL'ed driver, companies will be even less
motivated to release programming documentation. This will lead to a
GPL-lock-in since you simply replace the vendor not willing to share
specifications with an NDA'ed GPL developer not willing to share those,
but GPL code only.
Well, as my goal is to have a GPL driver for everything, I don't see how
this can hurt :)
Now others can have different goals, and that's great and fine. I'm not
saying you can't work on something if you wish to do so.
But for you to try to tell me that I shouldn't work to achive my goal,
as it somehow conflicts with your goals, is pretty rude, don't you
think?
There is no reason you can not extend the same kind of offer to
companies to help your project achieve success.
This is not about freedom but about prostitution.
I'm sorry you feel this way.
*plonk*
