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On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:07:10 +0000 "Jonathan Roberts" <jonathan.roberts.uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Just saw this article on Digg. > > http://www.digg.com/linux_unix/Linux_Kernel_hackers_offering_hardware_companies_free_driver_development#c4995019 > > Apparently the kernel team have agreed to develop Linux drivers under > NDAs if need be for any companies that will co-operate. I'm guessing > these drivers will still have to be GPL'd though? "All that is needed is some kind of specification that describes how your device works, or the email address of an engineer that is willing to answer questions every once in a while. A few sample devices might be good to have so that debugging doesn't have to be done by email, but if necessary, that can be done." http://www.kroah.com/log/2007/01/29/#free_drivers The NDA relates to the specs, not the source code for the driver: "If your company is worried about NDA issues surrounding your device's specifications, we have arranged a program with OSDL/TLF's Tech Board to provide the legal framework where a company can interact with a member of the kernel community in order to properly assure that all needed NDA requirements are fulfilled." http://www.kroah.com/log/2007/01/29/#free_drivers That's the key part - provided that a legal framework exists to separate the specs (which are not software and do not need to be public - although that doesn't hurt) from the driver (which is software and IS to be released under the GPL). Writing a driver doesn't need to force the specs to be public - although it is for these companies to decide how much of their "secret" spec can be "inferred" from the free software driver source code. "Now your developers will have more time to work on drivers for all of the other operating systems out there, and you can add "supported on Linux" to your product's marketing material." http://www.kroah.com/log/2007/01/29/#free_drivers That has to be good news for WiFi, 3D, embedded, . . . Penguins marching into Tesco, PCWorld and computer shops across the world! Got to be good for recognition of GNU/Linux, awareness, visibility, recruitment, etc. "Minimum spec: Linux kernel 2.6.20" - sounds good! Notes from the digg page: "They're pitching it as "provide us detailed specs and we give you Linux support for free". Clever." Why Some Vendors Refuse to Open Source Drivers ,----[ Quote ] | "It's not an issue of revealing cool high end features | to the competition that is keeping them from releasing the | high-performance 3D drivers into the kernel. It's that the drivers will | reveal flaws in the hardware that could be used against them by their | competitors... `---- Proprietary code = hiding problems instead of fixing them. Free software = public bug reports, public source code, public fixes. (Another way of saying: "many eyes make any bug shallow".) -- Neil Williams ============= http://www.data-freedom.org/ http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/ http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/
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