Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Fri, 22 Feb 2002 18:24:03 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Fri, 22 Feb 2002 18:23:54 -0500 Received: from 20.208.phc.net ([208.185.198.20]:27041 "EHLO iteusa-nt.itexinc.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id convert rfc822-to-8bit; Fri, 22 Feb 2002 18:23:43 -0500 Subject: RE: Dlink DSL PCI Card MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 15:27:56 -0800 content-class: urn:content-classes:message X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.0.4712.0 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: Dlink DSL PCI Card Thread-Index: AcG792oERZUuVMXPSounNFki0jxrjAAAEjPQ From: "Dave Rattay [ITeX]" To: "Stephan von Krawczynski" Cc: "Benjamin LaHaise" , , , , , "ITeX Tech Support" Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Stephan, I definitely agree that our worlds do not match. While I would hate to lose any customers there are some things that can not be avoided. There are many things to be taken into consideration when we make our drivers. One the vast majority of our customers use Windows and therefore we must devote most of our time there. Second when a new OS comes out from Microsoft (such as XP) we are given beta copies 6 months in advance so that our drivers hit the market along side the new OS release. This just doesn't happen with Linux. I agree that this would be much simpler if the source code was released and we had "help" in driver development but as I said that just can't happen, end of story. Now as to specs for the board itself you can check with sales because I am not even sure what our policy is on that and I wish you luck in those regards. Dave -----Original Message----- From: Stephan von Krawczynski [mailto:skraw@ithnet.com] Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 3:15 PM To: Dave Rattay [ITeX] Cc: Benjamin LaHaise; alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk; egberts@yahoo.com; lkml@secureone.com.au; linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org; ITeX Tech Support Subject: RE: Dlink DSL PCI Card > 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 - 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/