ubuntu heading for proriertary binary drivers installation by default

[Nick Demou]

Την 20/11/2006, Giorgos Keramidas <keramida at ceid.upatras.gr> έγραψε:
> On 2006-11-20 10:17, Nick Demou <ndemou at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >   The developers are well aware of the problems with using
> >   these drivers. For example, there are the ___simple___
> >   technical problems that support for the drivers is completely
> >   dependent on the hardware vendor. And, then, when the vendor
> >   does make a bug fix, that "improvement" will require careful
> >   testing, since the developers won't know what was changed in
> >   the update. Of course, on top of that, there are the
> >   ___philosophical___ objections to using binary drivers in
> >   Linux.
> >
> > Ισώς βέβαια να μην καταλαβαίνω καλά το θέμα και να υπερβάλω. Προς
> > τούτο:
> >
> > <> Έχει κανείς κανένα link που να διαπραγματεύται το θέμα σε βάθος και
> > με references?
> >
> > <> Έχει κανείς links που να ξεκαθαρίζουν τι είναι το ABI και τι είναι
> > το API[1]?
>
> Σε θέματα που έχουν σχέση με ανάπτυξη λογισμικού και υπολογιστές, οι
> συντομογραφίες `API' και `ABI' αναφέρονται στα εξής πράγματα:
>
>     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_Programming_Interface
>     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_Binary_Interface
>
> [...]

ευχαριστώ για την πολή καλή ανάλυση

>
> <Ελαφρώς off-topic & ξεδιάντροπη "διαφήμιση">

καθόλου off-topic (ούτε βεβαια ξεδιάντροπη)

>
> Προσωπικά, με ενοχλούν οι binary-only drivers και πιστεύω ότι δεν είναι
> σχεδόν ποτέ καλή ιδέα.  Κατανοώ όμως *γιατί* κάποια εταιρεία θα προτιμούσε
> ένα πιο σταθερό `kernel ABI' για το Linux (και οποιοδήποτε άλλο λειτουργικό
> σύστημα, φυσικά).
>
> Ακριβώς αυτοί οι λόγοι που αναφέρονται παραπάνω, και η σημασία ενός
> σταθερού kernel ABI, είναι από τα πιο ελκυστικά χαρακτηριστικά του FreeBSD
> για μένα.  Η εγγύηση ότι ένα πρόγραμμα, κι ένας kernel driver, που παίζουν
> για την έκδοση 6.0 θα παίζουν με τον ίδιο τρόπο και για την έκδοση 6.1, και
> για την έκδοση 6.2, και (μετά από 3-4 χρόνια) για την έκδοση 6.15, είναι
> πιστεύω ιδιαίτερα ελκυστική :)
>

βρήκα ένα email του Linus όπου εξηγεί γιατί δεν συμπαθεί τους binary
only drivers (με resume: "Because I _know_ that I will eventually make
[ΑΒΙ] changes that break [binary] modules. And I want people to expect
them") :

Hannu Savolainen tried to add some layering to make the sound modules
more "portable" among Linux kernel versions, and I disliked it for two
reasons:

 - extra layers decrease readability, and sometimes make for performance
   problems.  The readability thing is actually the larger beef I had
   with this: I just don't want to see drivers start using some strange
   wrapper format that has absolutely nothing to do with how they work.

 - I _want_ people to expect that interfaces change. I _want_ people to
   know that binary-only modules cannot be used from release to release.
   I want people to be really really REALLY aware of the fact that when
   they use a binary-only module, they tie their hands.

Note that the second point is mainly psychological, but it's by far the
most important one.

Basically, I want people to know that when they use binary-only modules,
it's THEIR problem.  I want people to know that in their bones, and I
want it shouted out from the rooftops.  I want people to wake up in a
cold sweat every once in a while if they use binary-only modules.

Why? Because I'm a prick, and I want people to suffer? No.

Because I _know_ that I will eventually make changes that break modules.
And I want people to expect them, and I never EVER want to see an email
in my mailbox that says "Damn you, Linus, I used this binary module for
over two years, and it worked perfectly across 150 kernel releases, and
Linux-5.6.71 broke it, and you had better fix your kernel".

See?

I refuse to be at the mercy of any binary-only module.  And that's why I
refuse to care about them - not because of any really technical reasons,
not because I'm a callous bastard, but because I refuse to tie my hands
behind my back and hear somebody say "Bend Over, Boy, Because You Have
It Coming To You".

I allow binary-only modules, but I want people to know that they are
_only_ ever expected to work on the one version of the kernel that they
were compiled for. Anything else is just a very nice unexpected bonus if
it happens to work.

And THAT, my friend, is why when somebody complains about AFS, I tell
them to go screw themselves, and not come complaining to me but complain
to the AFS buys and girls.  And why I'm not very interested in changing
that.