Re: HARDWARE: Open-Source-Friendly Graphics Cards -- Viable?

[Jesper Juhl <juhl-lkml@dif.dk>]

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004, Timothy Miller wrote:

> 
> pbecke wrote:
> > In general an open source video card is a great idea, however, I am a bit
> > concerned about your plans to keep the FPGA code secret.  I realize that
> > your company wants to make a profit, 
> 
> And that is the POINT here.  The question isn't whether or not we can become a
> charity and give away all of our IP.  The question is whether or not it's
> possible to sell open-source-friendly products.  Designing and manufacturing
> hardware is EXPENSIVE.  Especially at the volumes I expect.
> 
> > but in keeping with the spirit of open source, it seems that it would be a
> > good idea to not only open up the driver development, but also to open up
> > the FPGA code.  The great power of open source is that it allows a developer
> > to tweak the implementation.
> 
> What you're asking for is excessive.  Even Stallman agrees that people should
> be able to profit from their work.  Opening the source to this chip would be
> good for you and for every other company that wants to copy it, but it would
> not be good for Tech Source.  Tech Source is a business with a profit motive.
> Will will not engage in something that costs us more money than it makes or
> diverts us from something more profitable.
> 
> You're allowing your lofty free software ideals to get in the way of what is
> reasonable and practical.  I believe in freedom, which is why I started this
> project.  But make no mistake in thinking that I'm trying to waste the time
> and money of my employer.
> 

I'd say a card with open source drivers and access to detailed
documentation from a company that's willing to work with the Open Source
Software community is a very big first step, and a massive improvement on
the current state of affairs. If we could just get that as a start, then I
for one would be thrilled.


> > Perhaps, rather than a single company defining the functionality with input
> > from the open source community, it makes more sense for the open source
> > community to define the standard, and then any company could work from the
> > standard created by the open source community.
> 
> As I've said before, if people want to give us a design, we'll manufacture it!
> 

I know very little about graphics card hardware so I have no idea if this 
is interresting or not, but in case you haven't heard of Manticore I 
thought I'd provide a link : http://icculus.org/manticore/