[ros-general] why folks

[Enrico Weigelt]

* Ricardo Ramalho <rjsr at netcabo.pt> [2004-02-18 20:14:31 -0000]:

<snip>

> The binary driver thing "problem" is one and one only. The whole system is
> open. Why should it be closed for drivers? Those drivers would use code
> written with the hard work of others... It's not fair. Why shouldn't they
> give the driver's code? 

100% ACK.

But I can understand companies, which are forced to publish only binary
drivers because of domestic contracts with third parties (i.e. nvidia 
is in this bad situation). I dont like the idea of propretiary kernel 
drivers or root-only applications - for example they're big security
problems. 

btw: nvidia has found a moderate way of the trouble: they've written a
small opensource stub driver, which loads the real binary driver and
dispatches the calls to its own binary interface.

You could also write generic driver interfaces / ABIs for many device
types if you like / feel you require them. Of course this forbids many
compiler optimizations and so slows down a little bit in comparison
with "native" opensource drivers - but winnt has the same problem.

<snip>
> You seem to hate Linux with all your nerves. You grow up. No system is
> perfect! Some are better on some respects... Some are better on others. We
> should all learn with what others do. 
>
> Some people here are immensely *arrogant*! That's NOT good for the project.
> Regardless of the quality of their work.
ACK.
We've got the same problems in the mplayer project ... seems to be a quite
normal illness of coders ;-)


cu
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