Free Linux driver development

[Spiros Bolis]

On Tue, 30 Jan 2007, Spiros Bolis wrote:

> On Tue, 30 Jan 2007, Giorgos Keramidas wrote:
>
>> <old-flame>
>> Τα blobs όμως είναι teh evil(TM).  Δε νομίζω ότι είναι πολύ 'free' (με
>> την έννοια του RMS) ένα blob-based binary-only 'free' driver.
>> </old-flame>
> mallon kati tetoio ypopsiazomai pws tha ennooyn me th diakyrh3h poy
> kanane tha paizei opws px. to madwifi driver gia tis kartes atheros poy exei 
> ena teleiws kleisto kommati (HAL) kai ena wrapper gyrw apo ayto.

epanerxomai giati eixame neotera - prosfato slashdot

http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/free_drivers_faq.html

kai to eyxaristo einai pws kapoies etaireies ormwmenes apo to "stunt"
ayto edwsan specs! (na pw thn alitheia, gia 'mena htan h deyterh Q/A ;-)
)


[..]

Q: How are you going to write a GPL driver by signing an NDA? Is it
going to require a binary blob or some other way of obfuscating the
code?

A: No, not at all. I have written many drivers after signing NDAs with
companies. They are usually signed either to keep information about the
device private until it is announced at a specific date, or to just keep
the actual specification documents from being released to the public
directly. All code created by this NDA program is to be released under
the GPL for inclusion in the main kernel tree, nothing will be
obfuscated at all.

Q: This is a lame publicity stunt, Linux development has always been
done this way.

A: Well, the NDA program that we have set up with The Linux Foundation
is new. But yes, other than that, this is exactly how Linux kernel
development has been done. But it is good to point out exactly how it
all works for those who are not familiar with how it works.


Y.G. Keramida, des thn teleytaia erwthsh gia ta BSD ;-)