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Re: [LUG] AMD releases specs

 

On 9/13/07, Tom Potts <tompotts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> > It depends how well the driver is written - it could be anywhere from
> > "slightly encrypted" to "complete and utter gibberish". Having the spec
> > available would make life a lot easier for any free software developers
> > working on the driver.
> But when it boils down to it at some point it has to move the data through the
> FGP or PCMCIA bus or whatever - watch that closely and you'll get some of the
> spec. Write gibberish code and you'll have a shit slow/buggy driver and your
> competition can still look at the interface.
> When I developed M$ code I could download a debug version of windows for
> developing/debugging drivers - not sure about now - and use it to pick apart
> just about anything.

Lets be honest, if you were the competition and you were capable of
making similar devices the chances are you would firstly understand
the hardware/driver to a fair degree and also the chances are you
would have access to bus analysis/debuggers etc and could probably
reverse to a very good degree what you are looking at.

Releasing the spec only helps joe public if they are creating there
own driver or trying a home brew project etc. I can't see how it helps
the (real serious) competition at all, it only helps others use the
devices in additional ways which equates to more units sold ...
profit!

Robin

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