algeriatul team mailing list archive

[Faldegast <faldegast@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I'm sorry, but you fail to see the bigger picture.
> 
> 
> > One thing that is needed is open standard. Writing an operating system should not be about writing drivers for hundreds of devices. Standards should exists for drivers. Like OSKit or I/O Kit. Hince there should not have to be Linux drivers, FreeBSD drivers or Windows drivers, just Standard Drivers.
> 
> I agree that having a standardised driver framework would probably not
> be a bad thing, but there's another catch - DRIVERS FOR FREE OPERATING
> SYSTEMS WOULD STILL NEED TO BE FREE!

That's a whole other issue, but yes.

> > The optimal solution would be if compiled kernel modules could be loaded by any kernel that implements the standard, making them as portable as elf executables.
> 
> Absolutely no. There's a bunch of damn good reasons why the majority of
> the free software developers strongly oppose blobs (see
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_blob and
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_hardware_and_FOSS#Problems_with_binary_drivers) - for example even if you don't care about freedom (which is, by the way, what gives you the ability to either fix the problematic module yourself or get someone competent to fix it) at all, using blobs means all the security and robustness of a vanilla kernel goes instantly out of the window (just try fglrx), which means you can simply stick with Windowns and literally save yourself all the trouble. Blobs don't belong in free systems, period. Keep in mind that if you're not having any problems with them doesn't mean you never will and no one else does and that blob having a bug tracker doesn't mean someone actually cares about you. The most optimal solution would be if hardware manufacturers finally realised how to properly cooperate with free software community and either started writing BSD/GPL/MIT/whatever code themselves and submitting it for inclusion in the next release of the component they wish to support or at least providing complete NDA-free documentation and paying some of that component's developers to write that code for them (because documentation availability alone unfortunately doesn't guarantee someone's really gonna bother).
> 
> Read these articles to get a better idea:
> 
>       * http://airlied.livejournal.com/73115.html
>       * http://airlied.livejournal.com/73337.html
I dont see how you get from portable binary drivers to binary blobs. With some hacks binary blobs can be made portable without binary portability, the fglrx drivers is proof of that. Of course its only portable to platforms their limited framework support, but still its being done. But that's still a whole different problem.

With my suggestion you would be able to for example use the GPL drivers
from Linux on FreeBSD or Solaris without recompiling them. If we also
would be able to agree on standard for packages and repositories you
would also be able to just install the drivers from a common repository.
Currently i have machines running forks of the same OSS drivers on Linux
and FreeBSD. Sometimes forks can be healthy but not in this case, the
only reason for the forks is kernel compatibility.


 		 	   		  
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-- 
Microsoft has a majority market share
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1
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Status in Club Distro: Invalid
Status in Computer Science Ubuntu: Invalid
Status in EasyPeasy Overview: Invalid
Status in Ichthux - Linux for Christians: Invalid
Status in JAK LINUX: Invalid
Status in The Linux OS Project: In Progress
Status in The OpenOffice.org Suite: In Progress
Status in Tabuntu: Invalid
Status in A simple player to online TV streaming: Invalid
Status in Tv-Player: New
Status in Ubuntu: In Progress
Status in “ubuntu-express” package in Ubuntu: Invalid
Status in The Jaunty Jackalope: Invalid
Status in “ubuntu-express” source package in Jaunty: Invalid
Status in Baltix GNU/Linux: Invalid
Status in “linux” package in Debian: In Progress
Status in Fluxbuntu: The Lightweight, Productive, Agile OS: Confirmed
Status in openSUSE: In Progress
Status in Tilix Linux: New

Bug description:
Microsoft has a majority market share in the new desktop PC marketplace.
This is a bug, which Ubuntu is designed to fix.

Non-free software is holding back innovation in the IT industry, restricting access to IT to a small part of the world's population and limiting the ability of software developers to reach their full potential, globally. This bug is widely evident in the PC industry.

Steps to repeat:

1. Visit a local PC store.

What happens:
2. Observe that a majority of PCs for sale have non-free software pre-installed.
3. Observe very few PCs with Ubuntu and free software pre-installed.

What should happen:
1. A majority of the PCs for sale should include only free software like Ubuntu.
2. Ubuntu should be marketed in a way such that its amazing features and benefits would be apparent and known by all.
3. The system shall become more and more user friendly as time passes.