Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S262654AbVAEUm7 (ORCPT ); Wed, 5 Jan 2005 15:42:59 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262653AbVAEUmo (ORCPT ); Wed, 5 Jan 2005 15:42:44 -0500 Received: from zeus.kernel.org ([204.152.189.113]:41673 "EHLO zeus.kernel.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S262651AbVAEUhb (ORCPT ); Wed, 5 Jan 2005 15:37:31 -0500 Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 15:36:45 -0500 To: Steve Hill Cc: "Luis R. Rodriguez" , prism54-devel@prism54.org, prism54-users@prism54.org, Netdev , Jean Tourrilhes , Jeff Garzik , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [Prism54-users] Open hardware wireless cards Message-ID: <20050105203645.GO5159@ruslug.rutgers.edu> Mail-Followup-To: Steve Hill , "Luis R. Rodriguez" , prism54-devel@prism54.org, prism54-users@prism54.org, Netdev , Jean Tourrilhes , Jeff Garzik , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org References: <20050105200526.GL5159@ruslug.rutgers.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha1; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="Il7n/DHsA0sMLmDu" Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.3.28i X-Operating-System: 2.4.18-1-686 Organization: Rutgers University Student Linux Users Group From: mcgrof@studorgs.rutgers.edu (Luis R. Rodriguez) Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2586 Lines: 78 --Il7n/DHsA0sMLmDu Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Wed, Jan 05, 2005 at 08:22:10PM +0000, Steve Hill wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 >=20 > On Wed, 5 Jan 2005, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote: >=20 > >What I think we probably will have to do is just work torwards seeing if > >we can come up with our own open wireless hardware. I know there was > >a recent thread on lkml about an open video card -- anyone know where > >that ended up? >=20 > This may be a silly point, but there *was* good 802.11g hardware availabl= e=20 > which worked well with the fully open drivers.=20 Yes, that would be the Full MAC prism chipsets with the linux prism54 drive= r, which I help maintain. > I presume the=20 > manufacturers are moving to the "softmac" design instead because (for=20 > them) it is cheaper. That is correct. They have already moved to the Softmac design and you're lucky if you can buy FullMAC chipsets in stores now. > However, the point is that the working designs are=20 > already there and it may be that buying the existing design which is bein= g=20 > phased out is cheaper for the FOSS community than developing a whole new= =20 > open device. Definitely, I agree. Anyone have an idea of how much buying a wireless chipset design may cost? > Maybe it would be possible to convince one of the manufacturers that it's= =20 > worth their while producing the older design hardware - if there is a=20 > single manufacturer who is making more or less the only hardware that is= =20 > guaranteed to work under Linux there is probably quite a market for them. I think they made the move because of economics as you mentioned earlier. Under the current circumstances, I find it hard to be able to Convince Conexant, for example, to start selling FullMAC chipsets again. AFAICT the FullMAC chipsets have reached the END OF LIFE period. Luis --=20 GnuPG Key fingerprint =3D 113F B290 C6D2 0251 4D84 A34A 6ADD 4937 E20A 525E --Il7n/DHsA0sMLmDu Content-Type: application/pgp-signature Content-Disposition: inline -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFB3E/dat1JN+IKUl4RAn+zAJ9Nqm7B2/Z/4ouMrwSdYqjNQlSLRQCfdWtT Zum49MFe0zuSx+3O2yHHpKE= =uXsP -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --Il7n/DHsA0sMLmDu-- - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/