On Mon, Feb 25, 2002 at 02:59:37PM -0800, David Lawler Christiansen (NT) wrote:
> > 
> > It doesn't cost them anything to provide the information 
> > necessary to write drivers.
> 
> That's not true: tech writers are not cheap.  And, remember that I
> didn't say it was just an issue of documenting the drivers --
> documenting the drivers is sometimes not desireable.  Some companies
> wouldn't do it even if they could afford to, for reasons like
> patent-protection.

Generally the documents exist - they are used internally.
They may not be of 'sufficient quality' and may contain information
the company isn't actually proud of - like the list of bugs!

If you are a business and want to include a board in a system
(for sale) you can usually get the documents under NDA.....

> Even if the cost were low, it's still a cost you wouldn't pay if you
> didn't do it.  Most corporate managers, weighing the two costs, probably
> didn't think it's worth it.  

If you can persuade them it will generate sales, you can often
get the documents.  Especially from teh smaller companies.

> > Most of them could also write reference drivers that would be 
> > reasonably portable.  They only have to provide a couple of 
> > them and the community can do the rest.
> 
> Re-read my post: sometimes an open-source or openly-documented interface
> is not preferable.  Hell, sometimes, it's not even legal if you want
> customers like the NSA, banks, or overseas governments to buy it.

Eh?  Do they still believe in security by obscurity?
I guess it gives them a warm fuzzy feeling :-)


	David

-- 
David Laight: david@l8s.co.uk