lkml.org 
[lkml]   [1998]   [Sep]   [19]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [wrap][no wrap]   [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
/
From
SubjectRe: Linux, UDI and SCO.
Date
Erik Andersen <andersen@inconnect.com> writes:

> I say we have everything to gain by supporting this, and little to lose.
> We get binary only drivers for unsupported devices, and then when we
> get a free driver that is better written, everyone will use it because
> of the inherent advantages of a free driver.

Why do you think that you will ever see a free driver? A pat answer
will be "You may buy our binary driver which works on your machine so
why do you need specs? Our driver is the best possible in any case".
And of course non-Intel Linux crowd (Alpha, Sparc, m68k, ARM, MIPS, .... )
will be screwed. You will maybe hear "Ah, those!" or maybe even not that.

It is hard to predict what will happen but I think that the danger
is real. Such course of events would drastically change a nature
and prospects of Linux. Among other things it would pull it back
strongly into Intel-only camp. How strongly depends on how many
important drivers you get only in a commercial form. Once it will
turn out that a control can be exercised that way you will find
this situation more and more often.

Michal

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

\
 
 \ /
  Last update: 2005-03-22 13:44    [W:0.068 / U:1.052 seconds]
©2003-2020 Jasper Spaans|hosted at Digital Ocean and TransIP|Read the blog|Advertise on this site