[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: nVidia is OS?



On Sun, 2003-04-06 at 14:45, mike808@users.sourceforge.net wrote:
> Steve wrote:
> > I don't know of any vendor that will provide support for nVidia's
> > drivers.  They aren't part of the product they ship.
> 
> Hmmm. Then again, neither does Acrobat Reader, Macromedia Flash Plugin,
> nor Sun's Java JVM. I noticed that DVD playback support isn't part of
> any vendor's distribution, much less do any of them provide support for it.
> 
> Does that mean you don't play DVDs on or own a drive for your Linux system?
> 
> > It's really simple...  I decided a long time ago that I don't want to
> > have anything to do with hardware that has no open-source drivers.
> 
> Fair enough. But you should make clear that this was your personal choice,
> _ a long time ago _, and that for a great many people out there, your choice
> for _you_ all those years ago may not be the best choice for them now.
> For example, as was already pointed out, they may already have nVidia 
> hardware and didn't have the luxury of being able to afford (or have the 
> technical resources) to make a stand on the same principles as you.
> 
> I also believe there are no open source drivers for TiVo. Yet it's
> one of your favorite toys. Same for your PS2. Both run Linux.
> Both would appear to violate this principle you hold dear WRT nVidia.
> Why the apparent hypocrisy? I'm not saying you should "embrace" nVidia.
> I'm just saying you shouldn't preach what you don't practice, and at the
> least disclaim the difference between your "expert opinion" and your 
> "personal choice", as people may not distinguish the two when there is a 
> difference.

Mike,

I certainly wouldn't disagree with any of your points. Still, Steve
voices a widely held frustration in our community. I do think his stance
is a bit overstated, but there is clearly room for improvement.

I look forward to the day when Linux use is so widespread that
manufacturer's support is the rule rather than the exception. In ancient
times, buyers of home computers (not yet PCs) received complete
schematics and source code for all I/O devices.

Sometimes I wish I could return to those thrilling days of yesteryear
when I could call up a vendor and talk with the guy who wrote this or
that piece of software. In the late '70s and early '80s you really could
do this -- routinely. Then I remember that was an 8-bit era.

If hardware vendors distributed source code today, they might find
themselves flooded by phone calls asking for compilation help, or
(worse) help in debugging changes made by unskilled end users. The best
compromise between yesterday's "everything" and today's "none"  might be
an official product user's group. The cost to a hardware manufacturer
would be very low, and would be a boon to marketing and advertising.

Just my $0.02...

--Doc


-
To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@silug.org with
"unsubscribe silug-discuss" in the body.