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    DateThu, 9 Aug 2007 01:03:39 +0200
    From"Jesper Juhl" <>
    SubjectRe: [PATCH 2/3] UIO: Documentation
    On 09/08/2007, Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu <Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu> wrote:
    > On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:36:00 +0200, Jesper Juhl said:
    >
    > > Do we really want this?
    > >
    > > In my oppinion we run the risk here of encouraging behaviour akin to
    > > what NVidia is doing - release a small kernel "glue" module and then
    > > keep the driver proper in a binary blob (in userspace, but still a
    > > binary blob).
    > > If the company goes out of business and take their driver source with
    > > them then users are left with a useless, un-debugable, un-maintainable
    > > binary blob.
    > > Don't we instead want to encourage/pressure people to release specs
    > > and/or source code for their hardware/drivers so open, modifiable
    > > drivers can be written?
    > >
    > > This opens the door for people to start writing closed drivers. In the
    > > long run that seems to me like a bad deal for our users.
    >
    > On the other hand, given that we've always said that closed-source stuff in
    > userspace is OK, the only way to not let *that* horse out of the barn is to
    > not merge UIO at all.
    >
    Exactely.
    
    > If you have UIO in the kernel talking to stuff in userspace, you're going to
    > have to deal with closed-source stuff at the userspace end of the pipe.
    >
    Naturally.
    I just wanted to get people to think about whether or not this is
    something that we are willing to accept for device drivers - I guess
    it is since UIO is already merged - I just think it's a potential step
    back in terms of encouraging open source drivers for Linux, that's
    all.
    
    > Unless somebody can come up with some great feat of sophistry to avoid that?
    >
    I think the only way to avoid it is to not provide something like UIO.
    
    -- 
    Jesper Juhl <jesper.juhl@gmail.com>
    Don't top-post  http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/T/top-post.html
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