Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 13:46:24 -0700 From: "Steve Shoecraft" <sshoecraft@1-link.net> To: "'Soren Schmidt'" <sos@freebsd.dk> Cc: <freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: RE: FreeBSD vs Linux, Solaris, and NT Message-ID: <000101c069fc$c0e3bf00$f43084ce@max.home.org> In-Reply-To: <200012192031.VAA61360@freebsd.dk>
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> > It seems Steve Shoecraft wrote: > > > > There are a number of reasons why a manufacturer can > not/will not release > > source code for a driver. A few that come to mind are: > > > > a) A device driver is a reflection of the > hardware. Manufacturers in > > highly competitive markets could potentially be giving away > trade secrets > > for their new wiz-bang technology by publishing the source code. > > > > b) Manufacturers license technology from other > manufacturers for inclusion > > into their product. The license/NDA does not allow them to > disseminate the > > information (either through source or documentation). > > c. the driver is so embarrasing they wont show it to the world > > This is more common than you would belive :) Heh. This is true of the ATI example source ... *whew* is it bad =P > > > EXAMPLE: I have been trying to deal with ATI recently > regarding my > > All-In-Wonder 128 and TV-Out. Although they have been > *VERY* helpful in > > giving me example source and datasheets for the R128 > chipset, they cannot > > give me the information on how to enable TV-Out. This is > because the > > ImpactTV chipset on my AIW contains technology licensed > from Macrovision, > > and for them (ATI) to release the information to me would > breach their > > agreement with Macrovision and open them up to a nice fat > lawsuit. I *MAY* > > have to try and get a license from Macrovision and then > present my licensing > > info to ATI -- and even if I did, I would not be able to > distribute the > > source for that component of the driver... (sigh) > > Well, go read the GATOS project source, they know how to switch the > TVout stuff at least it works on my AIW :) > Is your AIW based on the R128 or M64? GATOS has R128 TV-Out support disabled by default. Enabling it (commenting out the if (ati.r128) return 0;) doesn't seem to work on my card, and I didn't spend a whole lot of time playing with it. I grabbed the latest CVS source about a month ago. > > -Søren > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message > - Steve To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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