Subject: drivers for video (was: Petition for NetBSD Nvidia driver)
To: None <netbsd-users@netbsd.org>
From: Dieter <netbsd@sopwith.solgatos.com>
List: netbsd-users
Date: 12/02/2006 13:31:27
> FreeBSD and Linux has a working driver since=  years.

Only for uselessly lax definitions of "working".
Can you say "causes data loss in unrelated parts of the system" ?
Can you say "binary drivers only run on one CPU arch" ?
Can you say "security holes" ?
Can you say "no way to fix problems" ?

A binary-only driver is USELESS!

> It`s more realstic to get a working driver with this petition
> than asking a=  mulimillion compamy to opening their specs.

Asking a company for information explaining how to use their
product is quite reasonable.

If we are going to petition Nvidia/ATI, it should be for
information on how to write a driver.  AMD has a history
of working with the FOSS community, try asking them.
Get together with FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Linux, Plan 9, etc.

The other route is to build a video chip from scratch.
The Open Graphics Project is working on this, and is
making good progress.  Additional engineering talent and
additional money would accelerate the process.