From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Oct 3 09:24:18 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 72C791065694 for ; Fri, 3 Oct 2008 09:24:18 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rock_on_the_web@comcen.com.au) Received: from angel.comcen.com.au (angel.comcen.com.au [203.23.236.69]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 314D88FC0A for ; Fri, 3 Oct 2008 09:24:18 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rock_on_the_web@comcen.com.au) Received: from [192.168.0.185] (unknown [202.172.126.254]) by angel.comcen.com.au (Postfix) with ESMTP id E5E8E5C2E759 for ; Fri, 3 Oct 2008 19:21:34 +1000 (EST) From: Da Rock To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <20081002142519.GG51954@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> References: <200810011048.21874.lists@rhavenn.net> <18659.52849.278757.861259@jerusalem.litteratus.org> <20081001172216.5015add3@scorpio> <20081001232502.G56202@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> <20081001180424.56e6ca69@scorpio> <20081002142519.GG51954@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> Content-Type: text/plain Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:22:02 +1000 Message-Id: <1223025722.3927.36.camel@laptop1.herveybayaustralia.com.au> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Evolution 2.12.3 (2.12.3-5.fc8) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-comcen-MailScanner-Information: Please contact the ISP for more information X-MailScanner-ID: E5E8E5C2E759.2446A X-comcen-MailScanner: Found to be clean X-comcen-MailScanner-SpamCheck: not spam, SpamAssassin (score=0.1, required 3, RDNS_NONE 0.10) X-comcen-MailScanner-From: rock_on_the_web@comcen.com.au X-Spam-Status: No Subject: Re: Questions drivers for VGA and NIC X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:24:18 -0000 On Thu, 2008-10-02 at 10:25 -0400, Jerry McAllister wrote: > On Wed, Oct 01, 2008 at 06:04:24PM -0400, Jerry wrote: > > > On Wed, 1 Oct 2008 23:25:19 +0200 (CEST) > > Wojciech Puchar wrote: > > > > >> In all likelihood, the probability of any vendor creating FBSD > > >> specific drivers is directly proportionate to the expenditure of > > >> funds to create and maintain the driver versus the expected revenue > > >> from such an expenditure. > > > > > >giving out a specs will be the simplest way. > > > > Any entity, or corporation, has a right to expect a return on their > > investment. To expect a corporation to simply give away something, > > thereby depriving their shareholders, partners or whatever, of their > > rightfully expected monetary reward is foolish. It certainly is not a > > well thought out business model. > > First, in cases like this, giving out the specs so someone can write > a good driver could increase their sales of cards which could, in > turn, increase their profit. So, it would help their business > rather than hurt it. They do not sell those drivers. They just > use them to sell video cards. Since the lack of a driver that > works in FreeBSD limits their sales of video cards, then they are > making the business mistake you are indicating, only in a reverse > sort of way. > > > Second, and very important. No corporation has any right to expect > a return on their investment. Investment is always a risk. They > might hope for a return, but they will have to work for it. They will > be fortunate to get it. More business ventures fail than succeed. > > Maybe it is only a case of using the wrong word, but it is still > important to remember that there is no guarantee of profit. That > was the big failing of price controls - that the government got > in to the business of guaranteeing profits and then the whole thing > fell apart. Ok, so this is in reply to the previous message on this thread as well as this one. Based on what is said here (and I agree totally), then the NDA would be only on the actually insider specs of the card- you'd have to be a savant to extrapolate the actual guts of the card solely based on the driver (in particular the special features in the hardware- if they're not public knowledge anyway). So why the big hush hush then? NDA signed and obviously a contract drawn which everyone agrees to- manufacturer and programmer. Any reason why this wouldn't work? I know of some that do this (ie m-Audio and OSS).