-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 I don't know if any of you have been following the Phillips webcam driver in kernel debate over the past couple of days? Basically what has happened is that:
a. Nemosoft Unv had an NDA with Phillips that allowed them to make drivers for the Phillips webcam for the Linux kernel. Most of the driver was FLOSS (GPL). However, the image decompression portion of the driver was under NDA and hence closed-source. b. There was a special hook in the kernel that permitted loading of this type of semi-open semi-closed driver into kernel space. Recently, someone pointed out to the kernel USB maintainer (Greg KH) that this hook was against stated kernel policy, and he chose to remove that hook from the kernel. c. Nemosoft Unv got rather upset about not being able to load binary-only drivers into the kernel and he, in a rather childish move IMO, chose to remove the whole Phillips webcam (PWC) driver from the kernel, including the GPL portion. d. The Phillips webcam works without the closed-source driver portion; however some of the higher-end functionality is lost. e. Now the kernel maintainers are looking for someone to take the original open-source portion of the driver and maintain it since Nemosoft has stated that he will not have anything to do with the Linux driver any more, to the extent of removing the driver support e-mail from his server and all references to the driver, including the sources, from his web site. f. Interestingly, Nemosoft's NDA with Phillips has expired and legally he is permitted to make the complete driver open-source. However he refuses to do so. The following URLs provide detailed information: Greg's FAQ on removing the PWC driver: http://www.uwsg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0408.3/1394.html Nemosoft's take on the whole business (complete thread): http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.usb.devel/26310 Linus' take on the whole business: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/229968 LWN story on the PWC driver issue: http://lwn.net/Articles/99615/ The story raises lots of questions, some rhetorical, most of which I've answered for myself, but which may still be interesting: - - Do non-free drivers make sense in the kernel? Given the choice between a non-free driver in the kernel and not being able to use (some features of) a device, which would you rather choose? [My answer: the latter. For instance, I don't use the closed-source NVidia drivers for my graphics card, even though I have to use software GL] - - Wouldn't it make more sense to lobby the manufacturers to open their protocols and algorithms rather than waste time bitching about free vs non-free stuff? [My answer: Yes it would; I've been in constant communication with Motorola to open up the A760 mobile phone synch specs so that a free synch client can be written for Linux. If they don't do it within a reasonable period of time, expect a diatribe against Motorola and their non-free-software-friendly policies ;) ] - - Is Linux more important than freedom? </flame-bait> Regards, - -- Raju - -- Raj Mathur [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://kandalaya.org/ GPG: 78D4 FC67 367F 40E2 0DD5 0FEF C968 D0EF CC68 D17F It is the mind that moves -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Processed by Mailcrypt 3.5.8 <http://mailcrypt.sourceforge.net/> iD8DBQFBMA4SyWjQ78xo0X8RAuq+AJ9YkQ+kDw4x4n6fbKmT8jH/UFA3gwCaAjfW yrdt/qY+iwuDlrYarHOEd88= =wsxj -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______________________________________________ ilugd mailinglist -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
