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Linux Centrino Driver Update

Posted by Hemos on from the talking-more-about-it dept.

Edy52285 writes "An article on News.com talks about how Intel has been, and still is, dragging on releasing their Linux drivers for Centrino. Intel is reluctant to release its drivers as open source since doing so would reveal secrets about their wireless hardware. Linux in currently unable to take advantage of Centrino's wireless networking devices, without, that is, prying $20 from your thin wallet to buy Linuxant's DriverLoader (discussed in an earlier story). Will Swope (Intel's General Manager of Software and Solutions Group) said in an interview said "What I believe will happen is we will end up having a Linux compatibility driver that is not open source at first, then designing future drivers in such a way that they are open source but will not expose intellectual property," Intel seem to be taking its time on releasing the drivers, and even in the article, there is a lack of any commitment on a date or under what conditions the drivers will be released." Also, someone pointed out that it's worth checking out ndiswrapper for the driver.

2 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. And thus... by TWX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...I won't buy a "Centrino" laptop. That's fine, since Apple's laptops are looking more appealing anyway, and still run Linux. Some of those new AMD offerings in mobile computing, as well as Tranmeta's installation in some of the Sony lines make them nice options as well.

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  2. Re:Secrets? by Angstroem · · Score: 5, Interesting
    If the other restaurants are interested by any means, they already bought a couple of Centrino devices and crack-opened them. One of the most exciting jobs within bigger companies is the reverse engineering department. (Of course, the legal claim for that dept is not to do industrial espionage but to detect copyright frauds of the evil competitor...)

    Trying to obscure hardware by only handing out binary-only drivers and hiding the API from the average programmer does not help at all against professional counterfeiting / industrial espionage. But it's quite amusing to see a company like Intel play the security-by-obscurity song.

    They should know better.