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President of the XFree86 Joins Precision Insight

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the way-to-go-david dept.

franklamonica writes "David Dawes, one of the original founders of the XFree86 Project, and its President for the last seven years, has decided to join Precision Insight Inc." PI has been heavily involved in extending XF86 to include top notch 3d support, and releasing their code back into the XFree86 code base.

42 comments

  1. Cool! by otis+wildflower · · Score: 2

    I love seeing people get paid for writing OSS... I'm wondering though, will PI get into the OS$ (Open Source $upport) biz? I can imagine them either doing X support direct or thru commercial distro companies on a model similar to RH's support structure...


    Your Working Boy,

    1. Re:Cool! by shawnhargreaves · · Score: 2

      There's no need for them to do support: unlike many other Linux players, they already have a solid source of income. Hardware manufacturers can't sell cards without drivers, and often only have very minimal internal development resources, so they tend to be delighted to outsource this work to anyone who is willing to take it on. As it becomes increasingly important to sell cards to the growing hordes of Linux users, and since most existing PC video manufacturers lack any experience in this area, I don't think Precision Insight will have any shortage of work to keep them busy...

  2. Question by NaTaS777 · · Score: 2

    With all the hype surrounding Xf86 4.0 and all the video card manufactures helping out I wonder if there is anyway that we could get Legit DVD decoding support. I mean some of the video cards out there have it built in. I hope that they think about doing this. Maybe after the court thing is settled we can get atleast binary only drivers in Linux and other os'es. Just a thought....I want my DVD to work in Linux!
    Natas of
    -=Pedophagia=-
    http://www.mp3.com/pedophagia
    Also Admin of

    --
    Natas of
    -=Pedophagia=-
    http://www.mp3.com/pedophagia
    Also Admin of
    http://loki.linuxgames.com
    1. Re:Question by HeUnique · · Score: 2

      Actully, this issue is a bit of problematic. All of those companies singed multiple NDA's in order to make DVD playable on those cards..

      I would like to ask people to send me email addresses of contact people on various companies (Matrox, Nvidia, S3, ATI etc..) so I can ask polity companies for the info to be released under NDA, and also ask people who got some Linux and DVD programming knowledge to contact me by email, so we'll have a group of people who can write a binary only program/modules to play the DVD's on various cards..

      Later, if the situation will allow, we'll ask those companies to release what can be released - under Open source..

      Think you can help? email me (hetz-home@cobol2java.com).

      Thanks

      --
      Hetz (Heunique)
    2. Re:Question by Foogle · · Score: 2
      Something that was tossed around awhile back was very similar to this. A company like RedHat or VA (with some money to sink into Linux projects) would, under NDA, develop a legitimate DVD driver for the Linux kernel. Then just about anybody could write an interface (read: player) to the driver. The interface could be totally GPL'ed while the binary kernel module would be the only thing non-free. It sounded like a good idea to me anyway... Of course, if we get this whole DeCSS thing worked out then it won't matter, will it?

      -----------

      "You can't shake the Devil's hand and say you're only kidding."

    3. Re:Question by mikefoley · · Score: 1

      Binary kernel modules = x86 only

      No thanks. I'm an Alpha Linux guy. I suspect the PPC folks and others wouldn't like it either. Every time someone comes out with "binary only" stuff, they only target x86.

      --
      What's my Karma Mr. Burns? "Excellent"
    4. Re:Question by Foogle · · Score: 1
      If it were VA, then I could see x86 only, but RedHat certainly isn't x86-centric... I dunno, I guess it's all theory right now.

      -----------

      "You can't shake the Devil's hand and say you're only kidding."

    5. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > With all the hype surrounding Xf86 4.0 and all the video card manufactures helping out I wonder
      > if there is anyway that we could get Legit DVD decoding support.

      Let's wait for the judge to throw the CSS lawsuit out of court, then we can all feel better about watching DVDs without getting sued.

      > I mean some of the video cards out there have it built in.

      Very few cards actually have a DVD decoder built in. Most have a few generic video acceleration functions which can be used, along with software running on the host CPU, to write a DVD player program.

      > Maybe after the court thing is settled we can get at least binary only drivers in Linux and
      > other os'es.

      No thanks. Binary only sucks, and there's need for binary only since (almost) all the information we need is public anyway. The only information that isn't fully public is the standard for 'navigation', that is, chapters, indexes, and subtitles on a DVD.

      > I want my DVD to work in Linux!

      It already mostly does. Check out http://linuxvideo.org for mostly working video/sound playback. But you need a fast CPU.

    6. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who cares if you like it or not? They could still do it and help the other 99% of us out.

    7. Re:Question by be-fan · · Score: 1

      I wonder why you Linux people insist that binary-only is bad. Sure you can't use it on different archs, but what does the vast majority of people running linux have? Maybe for server stuff, but you don't use DVD on a server. If a bunch of people can talk Redhat into getting an NDA and releasing binary-only drivers, then good for them. 99% of the people are happy, and those who whine about the binary-only drivers can just write their own. It still better than what you have now which is 100% of the people dissatisfied. You say that DVD on linux "mostly" works. Thats the problem. With a lot of linux drivers for new stuff, everything "mostly" works, but not much works really well.

      --
      A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
    8. Re:Question by Kye · · Score: 1

      The arguement can be used against Linux as a whole:
      Most people use Windows, Why should companies release their specs to a small group of people?

      People don't like x86. The only reason I'm still using it is becasue of binary programs.

      Ideally there'd be minimal DVD stuff in the Kernel andas modules anyway. so that the DVD stuff can be compiled on Unix (and clones), rather than just Linux.

    9. Re:Question by Surazal · · Score: 1

      Who cares if you like it or not? They could still do it and help the other 99% of us out.

      You forget the number of issues related with binary-only modules... namely Linus, Alan Cox, et. al would help you not one iota. The reasoning being that the Linux source code should not be held hostage by modules for which they can't see the code, even though the binary module owners have all the access they want to the kernel source.

      You can make all the arguments you want till your blue in the face supporting binary-only... the negatives quite frankly far outway any positive effects that "you" may get.

      BTW I myself have a x86 box... so yes it would "help" me too, but it's help I'd rather not have. As far as driver-level code goes in Linux, it's GPL or bust. End of argument.

      --
      --- Journals are boring; Go to my web page instead
    10. Re:Question by IntlHarvester · · Score: 1

      The main reason that binary-only is bad on Linux is that the driver interface is completely unstable. Any particular binary driver works only with a single kernel revision, and is obsolete practically as soon as it's released.

      This is a political question -- Linus won't create a stable driver interface precisely to force driver vendors to release the source. If you donate the source, maintenance is freely performed by the Linux community. If you don't, it's a support nightmare.

      There's probably quite a few Linux users who don't like this approach, but ultimately, it's Linus' call.
      --

      --
      Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
  3. Slashdot of your Own?! by MikeFM · · Score: 0

    I suggest you look at the PHPSlash project if you want to create your own Slashdot like site. Or if that isn't good enough for you then just recode it. In all truth Slashdot isn't that complicated a site to be so amazingly hard to clone. The amazing part is how well it works with such a high load. :) Get over it you silly Llama.

    --
    At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
  4. Good news or bad news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    or does that just mean he is doing the same thing as before but for pay?

    1. Re:Good news or bad news? by Caballero · · Score: 5

      David will be doing pretty much the same work as he did before. His first priority at Precision Insight is to get XFree 4.0 out the door.

      - |Daryll

    2. Re:Good news or bad news? by franklamonica · · Score: 5

      PI has put together a development team that consists of some of the most
      respected engineers in the open source graphics development community.
      Many people have expressed an interest in knowing more about PI and its
      goals as an organization, and I'd like to offer this explanation.

      PI views itself as a support arm of the XFree86 Project which serves as
      a bridge between commercial interests, and open source developers. As a
      commercial Independent Software Vendor (ISV), PI is directly responsible
      to its clients to meet their product release dates and their quality,
      performance, and support requirements. That culpability allows PI's
      clients to offer those assurances to their own OEM customers, removing a
      major perceived impediment for commercial companies in using open source
      software. Red Hat Inc. was the first open source software company to
      contract with PI. They have funded development of NeoMagic drivers and
      drivers for the Intel 740 graphics chipset. Red Hat has also funded
      (with additional funding from SGI) the Direct Rendering Infrastructure
      (DRI) which will be part of XFree86 4.0. Red Hat continues to fund PI
      to produce extensions to the DRI, and other improvements to XFree86 and
      the Linux graphics pipeline. PI's Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV)
      clients include 3dfx, Intel, ATI, and Matrox. PI will be releasing DRI
      based drivers for chipsets produced by each of those companies by Q2 of
      this year.

      PI welcomes any software contributions to its various code bases from
      any 3rd party developer so that PI's clients can receive the full
      benefits of any open source free development, but PI does not generate
      revenue from those contributions. In fact, PI assumes 2nd level support
      liability for the code in those contributions on behalf of PI's
      clients. By producing open source software (every driver PI produces is
      now fully open sourced), PI can work closely with free software
      developers. PI now uses SourceForge (from VA Linux) to host all of its
      development work in a fully open sourced environment. PI owns no
      intellectual property and it sells no retail products.

      XFree86 is a non-profit corporation that is controlled by its own board
      of directors. It requires that any development accepted for
      distribution meets the needs of the open source community. PI is
      absolutely committed to preserving its support relationship with
      XFree86. PI's clients fund projects to develop software which PI
      donates back to the free software community because they directly
      benefit from improvements to the graphics infrastructure. That
      development model allows PI's clients to focus their in house resources
      on tasks that are specific to their own products, and not waste
      resources on redundant development. PI's close relationship with the
      XFree86 Project and with commercial companies, provides the required
      bridge that allows these seemingly disparate interests to be mutually
      served. There is much more information about PI and its projects
      available at http://www.precisioninsight.com

  5. Couldn't they just... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Quit making headlines and release 4.0? ;^) I want that software so bad it almost hurts...

  6. when did default view go from threaded to flat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    when did the default view change from threaded to flat? I don't like it. :(

    1. Re:when did default view go from threaded to flat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good question. I happen to prefer it flat at higher point threshholds (because 2 or greater posts don't necessarily occur multiple times in the same thread) -- maybe this was a response to increased spam levels. I thought CmdrTaco was religious about threaded views though. Have the boys from marketing changed his mind?

  7. Troll by Stiletto · · Score: 1

    You're either clueless or a troll. Either way, check your facts before you post such absurd claims.
    ________________________________

  8. Canned reply? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Come on! Is it illegial to present a perhaps unpopular opnion on slashdot.

    XF86 is *not* a good model for *open*source development. It's no fun to see the guy who causes it's closeness to be getting involved with things like PI (who are very open).

    Insted of calling something a troll, how about researching and creating a beliavable argument in favor of your belifs.

    I suppose it doesn't matter, by the time I'm done you post will have causes the first to get moderated down.

    1. Re:Canned reply? by Scott+Francis[Mecham · · Score: 1

      If I remember right, on one of the other XFree articles, someone mentioned that the change to plug-in modules would probably result in more open development, since individual driver modules could be binary or closed but the core program would be available.

      --
      --
    2. Re:Canned reply? by Tim+C · · Score: 1

      Details on how to become an XFree86 developer can be found here:

      http://www.xfree86.org/developer.html

      Okay, so it's not completely open access (you do have to become an "official" developer), but as has been pointed out before, this is because they're operating under a number of NDAs, and so *can't* just hand out the source straight out of CVS to just anyone.

      Cheers,

      Tim

      --
      It's official. Most of you are morons.
    3. Re:Canned reply? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PI open? They've released binary only drivers for God's sake. It's not like that *development*
      they're doing on the Matrox drivers is going to
      be Open or anything. They donate code back to
      XFree86 *AFTER* the development. At least with
      XFree86 anybody can join and contribute to
      development. It seems awfully hypocritical to
      slight XFree86 because they require you to join
      their organization before you can participate in
      development, all while praising a company who gets
      contracted ($$$$) to do closed development.

    4. Re:Canned reply? by mysty · · Score: 1

      Really ? Well, I sent them an e-mail over 3 weeks ago, but never got anything back. On all the bugreports I wrote them: nothing but their automated response. They are quite incommunicado and I find it impossible to get in.
      ------------------------------------------------ --------
      UNIX isn't dead, it just smells funny...

      --
      -------------------------------------------------- ------
      UNIX isn't dead, it just sme
    5. Re:Canned reply? by mvw · · Score: 2
      Really ? Well, I sent them an e-mail over 3 weeks ago, but never got anything back. On all the bugreports I wrote them: nothing but their automated response. They are quite incommunicado and I find it impossible to get in.

      First, I exactly know how you feel, as I was very pissed about getting no answer a year ago. One tends to think "these dorks rejected me without no explanation" or similiar. However I tried a second time last winter and this time managed to join. Looking from the other side of fence, the situation looks a bit differently.

      There is a bunch of people trying to improve the codebase itself. However these are volunteers mostly.

      Can't say I cared much about the internal structures yet (like most seem to do I have a day job and thus not too much free time, it is bad enough I am addicted to /. :), so don't take the following as 100% true:

      The administrative work, like handling applications is done by probably two people. And those tend to be pretty much overloaded with work.

      So it is quite likely that your mail is in the queue still.

      Regarding your bugs, I can't tell you definitive wisdom either (as I had not come to watch what happens with incoming bugs), but my guess is that they go into an internal mailing list and are picked up by volunteers as well.

      In short: Try again and keep those patches incoming. (Send me private mail and I try to find out what happened to them)

      It is rather a case of bad PR than mischief or arrogance.

  9. Re:Great! by Caballero · · Score: 5

    Actually, Precision Insight has been trying to open up our development process as much as possible. We've recently setup a site on SourceForge called dri.sourceforge.net that has the latest public XFree release and ALL our development. In fact, it is our primary CVS repository at this point.

    So, I hope you see that PI is trying to not only do open source development, but also do it in as open a development model as possible.

    - |Daryll

  10. Why? by Bad_CRC · · Score: 1

    what's so good about it?

  11. And also.... by Wntrmute · · Score: 1

    PI has a deal with Matox to get out some XFree86 G400 drivers. They are supposedly gonna be open source and support DualHead.

    See www.tech-report.com for the details.

    -Wintermute

  12. Re:FRANK RIZZOS FAREWELL POST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Emmmm... I think this post at least calls for an off-topic.

  13. Oops... by Wntrmute · · Score: 1

    Guess I should have read a little furthur down first... :-)

    -Wintermute

  14. Re:Interesting implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I always appreciate parodies, especially
    of evil closed source sites who preach open source.

  15. Re:FRANK RIZZOS FAREWELL POST by erpbridge · · Score: 1

    Can somebody moderate the Frank Rizzo Post and the one titled "Llama Story" down so they don't appear on top? Thanks.

  16. Same here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's up?

  17. Thank you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thank you

  18. Re:FRANK RIZZOS FAREWELL POST by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    can you please take that long stick out of your ass and lick the shit off of it? Thanks.

  19. Yea right! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've emailed the address three times, once including a patch to 3.9.16.

    I've never gotten a reply and neither have a lot of other people.

  20. Re:the Llama story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Nice job.

    and I commend your on your prized first post. I know you don't get them all that often. It can be tough on Llamas.

    .

    Trollmastah

  21. PI == CYGNUS biz model by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    works like a charm, glad to see somebody else taking this route.

    Thanks--I saw your talk at SVLUG last year and was greatly impressed. Would you be willing to do another one this year for XFree4.0? It seems like a lot has happened (ie Voodoo) since the last talk and now 3D on linux appears poised for a very rapid take off. . . .

  22. accounts/cookies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i wonder that too. I DONT FUCKING WANT AN ACCOUNT ON SLASHDOT and i dont like to have to click on threaded every time i want too see comments.
    main reason that i dont want account is that i dont like cookies. i accept all cookies but my .netscape/cookies is linked to /dev/null. it would be good if slashdot could solve this account/cookies problem same way linuxtoday did

  23. hahaha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great article!