Return-path: Received: from ganesha.gnumonks.org ([213.95.27.120]:35158 "EHLO ganesha.gnumonks.org" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751463AbZFKN6k (ORCPT ); Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:58:40 -0400 Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:29:54 +0800 From: Harald Welte To: Forest Bond Cc: "Luis R. Rodriguez" , "John W. Linville" , linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org, Dan Williams Subject: Re: VT6656 driver source now GPL Message-ID: <20090611132954.GA20845@prithivi.gnumonks.org> References: <20090319164256.GA25237@storm.local.network> <43e72e890903190945m4d8920f5y69f5847b688b0aa1@mail.gmail.com> <20090320131014.GG25237@storm.local.network> <20090414000835.GA31504@storm.local.network> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii In-Reply-To: <20090414000835.GA31504@storm.local.network> Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: Hi all, On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 08:08:35PM -0400, Forest Bond wrote: > > > > VIA has released a new version of the VT6656 driver source, and it now has a > > > > proper license! Which is what VIA always had intended, but by accident it seemed to go wrong. What would be the point of having an open-source driver and then not licensing it under the GPL. In any case, sorry that it too VIA so long to get to that point. I was also pushing internally for a new mainline driver that would not come with its own wifi stack. Unfortunately there are no resources for that, and that department even lost some of their developers, so I doubt there is change any time soon. However, for future VIA wifi products I have a committment that their drivers will be developed more 'mainline style'. As for the VT6656: I have recently also received some hardware for testing + development. I am free to work on a new driver for mainline (I doubt any cleaning up would help) as I please - but then my time is severely limited, I'm also trying to improve the situation with regard to tons of other VIA chips. > I'm getting the sense that there is not a lot of developer interest in these > drivers. I am not surprised. I personally have not yet seen any remotely popular product in the market that uses a VIA wifi chip. However, this might change significantly in Q3/Q4 this year. If anyone wants to work on a new driver for the vt6656: I am happy to help with interfacing VIA's R&D in case there are some specific questions. I unfortunately cannot help with releasing documentation, as there is almost zero documentation on that part. (not a big surprise, even Intel has no programming manuals for their wifi chips...) Cheers, -- - Harald Welte http://linux.via.com.tw/ ============================================================================ VIA Free and Open Source Software Liaison