David Aspinall wrote:
> > By doing such things you do not respect linux philosophy.
>
> Sigh. Some of us may have bought or inherited the hardware already.
> It's no use saying go out and buy another card.
Then do what is the proper thing, help reverse engineer a driver. It is
nonsense to have a stable system break down because an unknown binary is
attached and messing things up. And unlike an application program that
can be (and is) jailed away from the op system core--the driver is not.
It just makes sense to refuse to accept secret drivers and to assure
what you do have is audited for stability, which cannot be done with a
bare binary.
The one closed driver I remember is for the intel 740, but that was done
by RedHat after signing a non-disclosure agreement with intel.
I haven't seen RH repeat that practice.
And it is difficult for one to stand by with supposedly the highest
performance card around and be unable to use it, but there is always
windows. When I go hardware hunting, I seek stability, linux
compatibility (with open-source drivers), and features in that order.
Manufacturers like Diamond who show a high degree of corporate
anal-retentiveness are rejected out of hand, regardless of what they
have in terms of features. I like to be able to USE what I have. If
features and performance were most important, I might have been wooed by
the G4 processor and be using a MAC. But their closed system puts me
way way off. I don't care to have what is on my computer or what I add
or how I use it dictated to me by manufacturers, not when I can get to
the source and modify it to my needs, and I will go to great lengths to
maintain that freedom.
So, if you have the hardware, you can do a valuable service to yourself
and others by joining an open-source driver project, or starting one,
for that furschlugginer card. Look around on web pages with a search
engine, or check newsgroups, or thumb through the listings at
sourceforge. We are not helpless users to be served, here, we are
people who can and will seize control over our own lives and protect our
own freedoms.
That's my .50 worth for what the linux/open-source philosophy means to
me.
Civileme
