Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 22:29:56 +0930 From: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au> To: Darren Reed <darrenr@cyber.com.au> Cc: hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: I20 to cause problems for linux et al. (fwd) Message-ID: <199709151259.WAA00868@word.smith.net.au> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 15 Sep 1997 21:58:43 %2B1000." <199709151158.VAA10836@plum.cyber.com.au>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
> [From a friend...] ...who has trouble formatting their messages. 8) > > > > i've been reading disturbing news that Intel's and Micro$oft's new PC > > Bus inititative (Called I2O) has developer documentation which is > > available only with the payment of hefty licence fees. Furthermore, > > developers have to promise not to release any information on this > > interface, nor any source code for any drivers that they develop > > fot I2O. Even if you can get information to write drivers, > > you will be banned from distributing those drivers. This will > > wreak havoc on > > free OSs like linux and freeBSD. > > more information from: www.i2osig.org a) We were discussing this a month or two ago. Lots of people made various rude noises about I2O, both on the general model and the likely political motivation behind it. b) The spec was leaked *very* publically at about that time, and if I remember correctly it was Wired that ran the URL for the leak. As there has been _no_ public statement from the I2O people regarding the leak, most particularly no attempt to regain control of the leaked document despite it being discussed openly in public forums which cannot help but be frequented by employees of SIG members, the only reasonable assumption that can be reached is that the SIG, or at least the controlling members of the SIG really don't give a damn. If current hardware exists in compliance with the standard as of ~May this year, documentation is "available", if of questionable status. Providing that IOP drivers continue to be compatible with the spec as leaked, free operating systems face an _easier_ time with I2O than previously, as there will no longer be a need to write new drivers for new hardware; just load the matching IOP driver and away you go. Of course you're tied to the RTOS on the IOP, and the vendor's potentially buggy driver, but at least you'll be in the same market segment as the big customers. mike
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199709151259.WAA00868>