[Fwd: Re: Fedora free software?]

[Dave Jones]

On Wed, Mar 21, 2007 at 07:31:15AM +0530, Rahul Sundaram wrote:

 > > users filing kernel bugs tainted with nvidia, vmware and other crap
 > > has been increasing dramatically. (Probably a result of compiz/beryl etc).
 > > I really don't want this to get any worse than it already is.
 > 
 > I did clearly specify that the driver buddy wont be installing anything 
 > at all and just pointing out users to alternatives. So I don't 
 > understand your concern here.

That it's solving a problem that isn't there, and legitimising binary drivers.
We don't get hundreds of bugs saying "my 3d on my nvidia card is slow"
we just get contaminated kernel panics.

 > > Popping up notifications like this isn't going to make anyone
 > > think "Oh, ok. I'll rush out and buy a new motherboard/graphics card".
 > 
 > Probably it won't wont immediate effects but it might influence their 
 > next buy. It will also add more pressure to hardware manufacturers when 
 > we direct users to the ones with open drivers.

I wish I shared your faith.  "Don't buy nvidia" has been the war-cry
for how many years now?  They're listening real good.
For a long time I remember "buy Matrox, they have acceptable 3d, and are open"
being the mantra.  Where are they now?  Shipping binary drivers
for Parhelia.  When they gave up, it was "Only ATI support open drivers".
They paid so much attention to the 'pressure' that they're now
actively preventing people from releasing code that's already been written.

We aren't even a blip on the radar of these companies wrt sales compared
to the unit volume they shift on that other OS.
If the Linux community as a whole moves to a different vendor du jour,
it barely affects their bottom line.

	Dave

-- 
http://www.codemonkey.org.uk