Re: Will there be Intel Wireless 3945ABG support?

[Alistair John Strachan <s0348365@sms.ed.ac.uk>]

On Tuesday 11 July 2006 19:25, Alon Bar-Lev wrote:
> Alistair John Strachan wrote:
> > On Tuesday 11 July 2006 18:12, John W. Linville wrote:
> >> On Tue, Jul 11, 2006 at 10:32:43AM -0600, Joseph Michael Smidt wrote:
> >>> Will 2.6.18 or 2.6.19 support Intel Wireless 3945ABG?  Please cc me
> >>> since I am not subscribed.   Thanks.
> >>
> >> It will not be in 2.6.18.  Making 2.6.19 is not out of the question,
> >> but it may take some work.
> >
> > Has some agreement been met regarding the mandatory use of the binary
> > regulatory daemon? The webpage seems to suggest it is still necessary,
> > and I'm sure that would disqualify merging the driver with Linux proper.
>
> Why not?
> The whole point is running a system that you know you can support for many
> years, even without a vendor support...
> And to have a system that you know exactly what running in it...
> Having a binary closed source violate this.
>
> Also there is no good reason why supplying this daemon as closed source...
> All they wish is people don't mess with their frequencies, and sooner or
> later someone will...

Don't misinterpret me, that's exactly my feeling too. Ignoring the politics 
and questionable legality entirely, as a matter of practicality, when Intel 
inevitably abandon these cards 5 years from now and their daemon rots, will I 
still be able to use my wireless card? I think not.

Also, I can't see any reason why a mini-pci version of this couldn't work in a 
system other than x86/x86-64, even if Intel don't design such machines.

In my view, it would be unacceptable to merge.

-- 
Cheers,
Alistair.

Final year Computer Science undergraduate.
1F2 55 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, UK.