On mySimon: Oprah's Favorite Things
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 38 of 68:
Next »
« Previous
The arrogance of hardware vendors
GPL ensures that the hardware will work in a year or two or ten. This isn't about "open sourcing" hardware. This is about buying a piece of hardware and the manufacturer refusing to tell you how it works. There is no technical reason for this. Rest assured that competitors know how the device works.

One reason manufacturers don't provide GPL drivers is because they may be using software-patented methods in the driver. GPL forbids software patents which aren't freely licensed. And the manufacturer may not have even licensed those patents themselves. In which case the proprietary blob gives them some plausible deniability. (Especially when the blob is encrypted like in nvidia drivers.)
Posted by: cabdriverjim   Posted on: 08/01/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

Novell bans proprietary Linux modules  Loverock Davidson | 08/01/06
Don't be any dumber than necessary, Rock.  Henry Miller | 08/01/06
I haven't thus far  Loverock Davidson | 08/01/06
You did thus now...  yyuko@... | 08/01/06
And so it begins  Loverock Davidson | 08/01/06
And your point is?  nucrash | 08/01/06
That's hypocritical and chicken s@#$  JamesSingleton | 08/01/06
Stupid.  baggins_z | 08/01/06
And everyone says, "Huh"?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
It works just fine  Tim Patterson | 08/01/06
A better choice  JamesSingleton | 08/01/06
Good thing they're not the only vendor!  Henaway | 08/01/06
And look where it's getting them...  Tim Patterson | 08/01/06
For the desktop maybe...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
Signed their death warrant?  Michael Kelly | 08/01/06
I call Bull.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
not the point  NemesisNL | 08/01/06
Gee, seems like they are  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
Older ones are  Michael Kelly | 08/01/06
Do you need 3D and modem drivers in server software?  clockmendergb@... | 08/11/06
Open source is the better tool  bdg_z | 08/01/06
Whoa up...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
Mirrors  Yagotta B. Kidding | 08/01/06
What does IP have to do with this?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
Everything  Edward Meyers | 08/01/06
Tell me WHOS copyrights are violated?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
Whose ax is gored  Yagotta B. Kidding | 08/01/06
Whoa up...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
No_Ax Says...  NetArch. | 08/01/06
Novell was "done" anyway.  Anton Philidor | 08/01/06
Who says they couldn't have been profitable separately?  Michael Kelly | 08/01/06
SuSE says.  Anton Philidor | 08/02/06
RE: Novell was "done" anyway.  richdave | 08/10/06
It's like I said, community and proprietary software don't mix  stevey_d | 08/02/06
The arrogance of the Linux Community is amazing  ITTech001 | 08/01/06
Not quite  chill633 | 08/01/06
There are few things in the world...  Henry Miller | 08/01/06
The arrogance of hardware vendors  cabdriverjim | 08/01/06
That is kind of supporting what I'm getting at  ITTech001 | 08/01/06
What you state is the primary problem in the industry  kokuryu | 08/01/06
Gee, my ten year old drivers still work.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
Gee-Whiz... Educate me  ITTech001 | 08/01/06
Compile? No that's for geeks with nothing better to do  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
No, he's not dead wrong  NetArch. | 08/01/06
Better things to do?  pyellman | 08/10/06
The arrogance of the Poster is amazing....  eliyahu | 08/01/06
So what is your point?  ITTech001 | 08/01/06
SuSE 10.1?  laredoflash@... | 08/01/06
Novell are Boneheads  JamesSingleton | 08/01/06
not bone heads, but even so...  shryko | 08/01/06
On advice of counsel  Yagotta B. Kidding | 08/01/06
So your suggesting that Linux can't use proprietary.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
You know you're just trash talking!  Spikey_Mike | 08/01/06
Well it would seem Novell disagrees  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
nope  NemesisNL | 08/01/06
Ah, I see, and how many users  No_Ax_to_Grind | 08/01/06
It's clear that Linux will never challenge windows  stevey_d | 08/02/06
That is what they said already  kokuryu | 08/01/06
A wise move ...  George Mitchell | 08/01/06
What 'bout Big Blue?  seosamh_z | 08/01/06
Mixing is kosher  NetArch. | 08/01/06
Very insightful ...  George Mitchell | 08/02/06
A different animal ...  George Mitchell | 08/02/06
United we stand with Stallman  Boot_Agnostic | 08/01/06
Here's a thought.....  Shelendrea | 08/01/06
Novelle is a consulting firm, Novell is the company we are talking about...  Physco Dude | 08/02/06
Novell is simply a business making businbess decisions...  Physco Dude | 08/02/06
its just the law  Aussie_Troll | 12/14/06

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

advertisement
advertisement
Click Here

IT Solutions for 2010

  • Get cost-effective strategies and roadmaps on the most important issues facing IT leaders in 2010! Learn how to easily cut costs and deliver greater efficiency starting with your database, IT compliance management and data center. Visit the IT Leaders Dashboard. Visit the IT Leaders Dashboard.
  • Read about top issues IT decision-makers face every day, plus get cost effective solutions to real life IT problems. Oracle Topline