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ewan |
2009-10-13
, 15:30
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Posts: 445 |
Thanked: 572 times |
Joined on Oct 2009
@ Oxford
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#21
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There is no reason in principle why the hardware shouldn't be released with free drivers and or open specifications supported by the manufacturer, just as happens with Intel and ATI graphics on desktops. Open drivers are not a liability, they're a feature.
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2009-10-13
, 15:41
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Posts: 1,559 |
Thanked: 1,786 times |
Joined on Oct 2009
@ Boston
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#22
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Originally Posted by ewan
Actually, that's not true. There are two ways of keeping one's intellectual property secured. One is through the use of patents, wherein the method is fully disclosed with the understanding it will be legally protected, the other is known as a trade secret. There are legal protections of some nature for both in differing degrees depending on country. I am 100% sympathetic to leading designers keeping their drivers closed to hide implementation details and optimizations the designer would prefer to keep as a trade secret. Anything revealed for patent purposes can and will be ripped off in countries where patent protection is not enforced or not provided. Reverse engineering can reveal trade secrets, but it can at least slow the process down so that some money can be made before the tech is absorbed into China's bank.
There is no reason in principle why the hardware shouldn't be released with free drivers and or open specifications supported by the manufacturer, just as happens with Intel and ATI graphics on desktops. Open drivers are not a liability, they're a feature.
As i said, i would prefer fast, modern technology in my device to 100% open drivers. While the two aren't mutually exclusive per se, in practice you don't see it happen because companies want to keep their advantage and with it, profit margin.
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2009-10-13
, 23:05
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Posts: 473 |
Thanked: 141 times |
Joined on Jan 2009
@ Virginia, USA
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#23
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Originally Posted by Luke-Jr
What is it you're saying? That OpenPandora is the Duke Nukem Forever of the Linux world?
keesj: OpenMoko lacks a keyboard and decent specs. OpenPandora doesn't exist yet, and might never at its current rate.
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2009-10-13
, 23:16
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Posts: 473 |
Thanked: 141 times |
Joined on Jan 2009
@ Virginia, USA
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#24
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Originally Posted by Luke-Jr
If you look at Linux desktop distributions, the FSF only "blesses." what, 6 distributions? Out of 300-ish? Debian is not even considered completely free. And from what I can tell, Debian and Maemo are non-free for roughly the same reason: Hardware drivers. As with my desktop system, if Nokia makes a hardware decision to use better hardware versus open drivers, I'm all for that.
Noticed there seems to be more people reading this forum than in the #Maemo IRC channel who are interested in having an actually free/open handheld. I suggest we all collaborate on the search... maybe we'll even end up with enough people to have some weight in requests with companies
But thats just my opinon.
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2009-10-15
, 17:13
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Posts: 206 |
Thanked: 72 times |
Joined on Jun 2009
@ Switzerland
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#25
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Originally Posted by VulcanRidr
Yes, but no.
If you look at Linux desktop distributions, the FSF only "blesses." what, 6 distributions? Out of 300-ish? Debian is not even considered completely free. And from what I can tell, Debian and Maemo are non-free for roughly the same reason: Hardware drivers. As with my desktop system, if Nokia makes a hardware decision to use better hardware versus open drivers, I'm all for that.
But thats just my opinon.
In maemo, there is not only in drivers that are proprietary code.
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2009-10-15
, 17:42
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Posts: 53 |
Thanked: 40 times |
Joined on May 2009
@ Brooksville, Florida
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#26
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Originally Posted by VulcanRidr
No, Debian doesn't include any non-free drivers. FSF doesn't endorse Debian because they do have an (independent) repository of non-free software. Maemo is more like Ubuntu, except that AFAIK Maemo's non-free bits are legal.
If you look at Linux desktop distributions, the FSF only "blesses." what, 6 distributions? Out of 300-ish? Debian is not even considered completely free. And from what I can tell, Debian and Maemo are non-free for roughly the same reason: Hardware drivers.
Originally Posted by VulcanRidr
Well, some of us actually care about freedom. And keeping their drivers proprietary doesn't make the hardware better. It's not like the battery charger is someone else's IP-- nothing is stopping Nokia from releasing that code at least.
As with my desktop system, if Nokia makes a hardware decision to use better hardware versus open drivers, I'm all for that.
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2009-10-15
, 17:58
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Posts: 5,478 |
Thanked: 5,222 times |
Joined on Jan 2006
@ St. Petersburg, FL
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#27
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Originally Posted by Luke-Jr
Except for their lawyers telling them it's a liability issue.
Well, some of us actually care about freedom. And keeping their drivers proprietary doesn't make the hardware better. It's not like the battery charger is someone else's IP-- nothing is stopping Nokia from releasing that code at least.
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Ryan Abel
Ryan Abel
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2009-10-15
, 19:07
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Posts: 53 |
Thanked: 40 times |
Joined on May 2009
@ Brooksville, Florida
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#28
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Originally Posted by GeneralAntilles
Maybe they should hire some lawyers who understand computers better and spend time considering the question. I'm a lot more likely to explode a battery working blind than I am with commented code.
Except for their lawyers telling them it's a liability issue.
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2009-10-15
, 19:11
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Posts: 1,746 |
Thanked: 2,100 times |
Joined on Sep 2009
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#29
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Originally Posted by Luke-Jr
It's not -you- they're worried about. It's the fact that no matter who put their hands on the code, the name on the phone and the battery is Nokia.
I'm a lot more likely to explode a battery working blind than I am with commented code.
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2009-10-15
, 19:14
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Posts: 53 |
Thanked: 40 times |
Joined on May 2009
@ Brooksville, Florida
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#30
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Originally Posted by wmarone
Same situation if I have to work blind.
It's not -you- they're worried about. It's the fact that no matter who put their hands on the code, the name on the phone and the battery is Nokia.
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| alternatives, free software, mer, open source |
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