Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3232 mails)

[Silviu Marin-Caea <silviu_marin-caea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tuesday 08 August 2006 20:24, SOTL wrote:

> Keep trying by reread the abovr.
>
> If your are still confused ask any non geek and let them explain it to you.
>
> I have done my best to and there is a complete failure to comprehend.

View it like this:

The modem driver is a closed source--binary blob.  That just SUCKS MONKEY ASS.  
It can cause all sorts of problems in the kernel that would affect the whole 
OS.

The Right Way (tm) to have it in Linux would be Open Source modem driver.  You 
would think that the modem manufacturers would have the decency to 
open-source their drivers for their piece of shit modems, because they're 
*dying* hardware anyway.  No innovation is going on there, it's just riding 
into the sunset (to rot peacefully).

So what happened until now is this: kernel developers and distributions were 
tolerating binary blobs, to have working modems.  But the blobs don't seem to 
transform into Open Source.  They want to have kid blobs.  This would be just 
very bad for kernel.  Kernel has been advancing so nicely until now because 
drivers in it are open source and can be changed, optimized.  If too many 
drivers become Closed Source, the kernel would be suffocated and you would 
not enjoy the same stability that you do now.  What would happen then?  You 
would start to bitch about the kernel right?

What is happening now: recognizing the danger that the binary blobs pose, the 
kernel developers are starting to fight it.  A temporary casualty is your 
modem--it does not work with the distro out of the box.  It still can be made 
to work, by installing the binary-blob.

But remember, the Right Way is to have the driver open source.  Perhaps the 
stupid modem manufacturers would "get it" and do that.  Then the driver would 
be into the kernel in the next week, it would work out-of-the-box on every 
distribution, it would have less bugs, all the good that comes out of Open 
Source.

Again, view it like this:
It's not SUSE's fault that your driver is not included, it's the stupid modem 
manufacturer's fault.  Bitch to them!  Really, seriously.  That is what I do.  
Explain to them that their attitude about the Linux driver is causing you 
trouble using their product, and that you will buy something else.  That's 
what I did!  I bought an external modem.  Who lost money in this?  The stupid 
winmodem manufacturers.  And I, because an external modem is more expensive 
and more inconvenient, with another box and cables around.  But I did it 
because I like Open Source and I understand and see the greater good it does.  
I care much more about it than I care for some stupid winmodem manufacturer.

I know you have the feeling that people on the list don't get your point.  I 
do get it, and it's valid.  But I don't agree with the method you 
suggest--going forward with accepting more binary blobs into the kernel.  
It's very, very damaging, long term.  I believe it's better to bear with the 
small pain right now and be healthy later, than get morphine.

Did this bring a clarification to the problem?


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