Message-Id: <200202222315.AAA06074@webserver.ithnet.com>
Cc: "Benjamin LaHaise" <bcrl@redhat.com>, <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
        <egberts@yahoo.com>, <lkml@secureone.com.au>,
        <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>,
        "ITeX Tech Support" <techsupport@itexinc.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 00:15:15 +0100
From: Stephan von Krawczynski <skraw@ithnet.com>
In-Reply-To: <E788BA1D236784409F3F7138F1EABFDDE4DF@iteusa-nt.itexinc.com>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Subject: RE: Dlink DSL PCI Card
To: "Dave Rattay [ITeX]" <Dave.Rattay@itexinc.com>
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> Stephan,                                                            
> [...]                                                               
> Due to previous licensing                                           
> agreements we cannot release our source code to anyone including our
> direct customers and there is no way around that.  Sorry.           
                                                                      
Hello Dave,                                                           
                                                                      
first of all: thank you for your clear statement.                     
Unfortunately your world and our (linux-) world do not match (in my   
eyes). If you cannot provide either docs or source code chances will  
be very high that your product  line (chips) will be disliked by a big
percentage of linux using people. Most of them do not like w*ndows    
because they cannot control what the system is doing, you are _never_ 
sure what it does to your (personal) data and where it will be spread.
If you - being a linux user - would be willing to use binary-only     
drivers you are just about in the same situation - you lost control.  
Your statement - for me - makes one thing absolutely clear: I will    
never use your chips.                                                 
                                                                      
>  Now if you                                                         
> have a request for a driver please let me know the kernel version   
being                                                                 
> used as well as the ADSL protocol that you have.  I will see what I 
can                                                                   
> do to get you a usable driver.                                      
                                                                      
I do not want a useable driver. I want to have full control over my   
system where my personal data resides on. You deny this. I cannot     
certify a customer system including your drivers either. Simply       
because I cannot check out the code. This is why my customers will not
buy your chips either.                                                
In fact I would not even take them as free gift. Their use is a severe
security issue.                                                       
I have no doubts though that you might sell a lot of pieces in the    
w*ndows market.                                                       
                                                                      
Regards,                                                              
Stephan                                                               
                                                                      
                                                                      
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