From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Jan 22 02:49:27 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AD8C116A400 for ; Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:49:27 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bobmc@bobmc.net) Received: from smtp-out.fcibroadband.com (smtp-out.fcibroadband.com [64.119.104.17]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 86C3C13C455 for ; Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:49:27 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bobmc@bobmc.net) Received: from localhost (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by smtp-in1.fcibroadband.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id F20DD1B1777 for ; Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:49:22 -0500 (EST) Received: from smtp-out1 ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (smtp-out1 [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10025) with SMTP id 31467-07 for ; Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:49:18 -0500 (EST) Received: from [192.168.1.100] (host661461495e.dsl.res.tor.fcibroadband.com [66.146.149.94]) by smtp-out.fcibroadband.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 569131B182A for ; Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:49:18 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <45B4262D.90402@bobmc.net> Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:49:17 -0500 From: bobmc User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.4 (X11/20060615) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: FreeBSD Questions References: <45B40E08.6020606@fastmail.fm> In-Reply-To: <45B40E08.6020606@fastmail.fm> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: Subject: Re: Manufacturer documented wireless NIC's 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: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:49:27 -0000 Patrick Bowen wrote: > Could anyone tell me who the manufacturers are that support their > chips with documentation available to FreeBSD for the writing of > drivers, please. I have two computers with VIA 6102 for ethernet. One is a EPIA Mini-itx and the CD included has a FreeBSD driver. One might expect the VIA driver to be better than the free offering from an engineering student but I can't tell that from looking at the code while not knowing the hardware. You can get specs from VIA by filling out a form and telling a good story. But it seems VIA thinks they are doing a favor. The point of this little tale is to question what "support" means. It looks like you can't ship the VIA driver with BSD because of restrictions in the source. I would only call it support if the ViA product pages included BSD along with Windows and Linux already listed as compatible OSes. And if they contributed quality drivers to the 'BSD distributions. It would be beneficial for VIA and BSD. Cheers, -BobMc-