From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Mar 29 14:51:35 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3880416A401 for ; Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:51:35 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from norgaard@locolomo.org) Received: from strange.daemonsecurity.com (59.Red-81-33-11.staticIP.rima-tde.net [81.33.11.59]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 88DF443D5D for ; Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:51:30 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from norgaard@locolomo.org) Received: from [172.24.8.84] (generic.atosorigin.es [212.170.156.200]) by strange.daemonsecurity.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id A2F852E041; Wed, 29 Mar 2006 16:51:36 +0200 (CEST) Message-ID: <442A9EED.5090201@locolomo.org> Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 16:51:25 +0200 From: Erik Norgaard User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5 (X11/20060118) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Adam Stroud References: <442A9DA0.9060703@thegeeklord.com> In-Reply-To: <442A9DA0.9060703@thegeeklord.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: "Blob" and FreeBSD 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: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:51:35 -0000 Adam Stroud wrote: > I have been using both Open and Free BSD for a few years. Here is a > Quick question about FreeBSD and the use of third party closed source > binary drivers (known as "blob" to the OpenBSD community). I was just > doing some reading on the OpenBSD website about their views on third > closed source drivers (they are completely against them). Are the > FreeBSD developers/community also against the use of closed drivers? Are > these type of drivers currently being used in FreeBSD? Any > comments/pointers to relevant information would be greatly appreciated. I think that anyone in the OSS community fundamentally are against blobs - an OSS driver is always prefered. But some have a more pragmatic approach. The NDIS project (aka project evil) is an example of a pragmatic approach that allows users to use blobs. Erik -- Ph: +34.666334818 web: www.locolomo.org S/MIME Certificate: www.daemonsecurity.com/ca/8D03551FFCE04F06.crt Subject ID: 9E:AA:18:E6:94:7A:91:44:0A:E4:DD:87:73:7F:4E:82:E7:08:9C:72 Fingerprint: 5B:D5:1E:3E:47:E7:EC:1C:4C:C8:3A:19:CC:AE:14:F5:DF:18:0F:B9