linux-kernel - Re: GPL only modules [was Re: [GIT PATCH] more Driver core patches for 2.6.19]

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Message-ID: <458170FF.9030801@nortel.com>
Date:	Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:42:55 -0600
From:	"Chris Friesen" <cfriesen@...tel.com>
To:	Rik van Riel <riel@...hat.com>
CC:	Greg KH <gregkh@...e.de>, Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...l.org>,
	Martin Bligh <mbligh@...igh.org>,
	"Michael K. Edwards" <medwards.linux@...il.com>,
	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...l.org>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: GPL only modules [was Re: [GIT PATCH] more Driver core patches
 for 2.6.19]

Rik van Riel wrote:

> Why would users buy a piece of hardware that needs a binary
> only driver that's unsupportable, when they can buy a similar
> piece of hardware that has a driver that's upstream and is
> supported by every single Linux distribution out there?

In my experience it falls into a number of categories:

1) The system that requires the binary driver has other hardware on it 
that is required for the app.

2) The system that requires the binary driver costs significantly less, 
enough that they decide to bite the bullet on the software support side.

3) The system that requires the binary driver is the *only* one 
available in the specified form factor with the specified cpu architecture.

4) The team that decides on the hardware is totally divorced from the OS 
guys, so they don't know/care what is supported by open source drivers 
in the first place.

Chris
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