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Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 11:20:23 -0800 (PST)
From: Jacob Luna Lundberg <kernel@gnifty.net>
Reply-To: jacob@chaos2.org
To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [LONG RANT] Re: Linux stifles innovation...
In-Reply-To: <200102171337.f1HDbwh13232@flint.arm.linux.org.uk>
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> Speaking as a Linux _USER_, if this happens, can I get said print
> engine working on my ARM machines with these closed source drivers?
> Can Alpha users get this print system working?  Can Sparc uses
> get it working?  What?  I can't?  They can't?  Well, its no good to
> me nor them.  You've just made the system x86 specific.  Well done,
> thats a step backwards, not forwards.

Just out of curiosity, why can't the specification be along the lines of a
vendor data file saying ``if you want the printer to do x then say y'' and
``if the printer says x then it means y''.  That ought to add a lot of
functionality right there.  Sure there are evil winprinters that this
wouldn't be enough for but it would be hardware independant, yes?

Or alternatively what about getting vendors to release their source to a
middleman as a trade secret?  The middleman could then release binaries
for the various arches...  Distasteful, but I'd love to be able to use
*all* the features of my Lexmark OptraColor 45...  ;)

-Jacob

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