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Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 22:20:58 -0600
From: Nate Williams <nate@sri.MT.net>
Message-Id: <199605170420.WAA25749@rocky.sri.MT.net>
To: "Serge A. Babkin" <babkin@hq.icb.chel.su>
Cc: nate@sri.MT.net (Nate Williams), kevin@NDA.COM,
        freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: xircom hardware specs
In-Reply-To: <199605170310.JAA05519@hq.icb.chel.su>
References: <199605170031.SAA25091@rocky.sri.MT.net>
	<199605170310.JAA05519@hq.icb.chel.su>
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Serge A. Babkin writes:
> > > i sent email to xircom customer support and was informed that they
> > > would release the specs to interested developers.  is anyone pursuing
> > > this?
> > 
> > Nope, because signing an NDA means the source can't be distributed if a
> > driver is written.
> > 
> > > ps next and solaris x86 provide xircom drivers, not sure if freebsd
> > > is kernel compat with them (probably not...)
> > 
> > Nope, and NeXTStep and Solaris don't provide OS source, so signing an
> > NDA is not a problem.
> 
> But it's possible to take say BSDI driver, disassemble it and make the specs
> publically available.

If you think writing a driver is worth taking the time to disassemble
it, more power to you.  There are *plenty* of other boards that provide
almost the exact same functionality that are made by manufacturers that
will provide programming specifications.


Nate