Kevanf1 <kevanf1@gmail.com> wrote: On 01/06/06, Dylan wrote:
On Thursday 01 June 2006 12:48, Marcus Meissner wrote:
The actual way to go is to get rid of proprietary modules.
I really wonder why some people want them and not OSS drivers...
Because the hardware vendors cannot or will not provide the necessary technical information to allow the driver modules to be written. This is usually because they relate to patented material or material licenced from other companies, or the vendor is protecting their own "trade secrets" etc. Reverse engineering or decompiling the proprietry modules is not possible because they would be illegal in many areas.
Dylan
Hence, my idea. Take my example. For ages I couldn't use my Canon LiDE 50 USB scanner. SANE did not support it and Canon were totally unwilling to even think about creating a driver for it; I purchased the scanner before I started to use Linux properly, by the way. A guy who does work on the SANE project actually owned a LiDE 50 and so it was inhis interests to write a driver for it. It took him some time but he has done it. So, that's now another piece of hardware that works with Linux. It's a slow drip, drip of drivers (modules if you prefer) but they are coming. Perhaps the day will come when the manufacturers wake up and see the demand? -- Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire WS6 7HR Then I'll check back when Suse 20.9 come out :-)