But the point is, it (the kernel) still supports everything it used to support. There's a difference between adding functionality, and creating incompatible binaries.
I've been guilty of hoisting the "CSS is not copy protection!" banner, but it's important to be completely honest about such matters...
While it is true that CSS does not prevent a bit-for-bit copy of the DVD, which would be indistinguishable from the original (and thus playable in any player), the average home user does not have the ability to do this. Large scale piracy operations probably do.
So, CSS doesn't prevent professional piracy, but it is (was) a barrier to copying and distribution by a casual home user. However, it also restricted the user in other ways, such as limited support for various operating systems, and region coding.
Can you define "works" for us? Does that mean "works today," or "works next year?" How about "Works with any distribution" or "works in a specific environment?
Works for what architecture? Works with which games? Works with which X server?
All it takes is a quick little glance back to the Windows drivers that "work" to see that this is not the road I want to go down. (Hey, here's a new 4.14prerelease-Asubrev2 driver! Works great for shadows, but has some dithering problems! To install, just edit your registry this way, delete these system files, then reboot! Oh, and it only works with UltraGame patchlevel 3!")
Adobe has recently started promoting their service which lets you "WebBuy" "ebooks" - a process in which you download encrypted files, and then unlock them with a purchased key.
They have some free examples to show you, including The Declaration of Independence of the United States. What do you have to do to get it? Download about 6 megs of Adobe Acrobat, then download this file. It sends back CPU and hard drive identification to Adobe, and you then get your key. All this to read the Declaration of Independence....
I think you're right - it probably does fail the Open Source / Free Software test.
However, the clauses that disqualify it don't seem _too_ onerous (mostly, that it can only be used "for education"), and creating a Un*x port would probably be within the rights granted by the license.
The spec is open enough in any case, and a cleanroom implementation might be possible as well.
I forgot, the link to the source code (ex) is in the story above. It's been like 3 months since I submitted the story, so I forgot.:-) If you do windows, you can just grab it from that link. If not, I'll try to put together a tarball... my network at work is being painful today, so getting a 4 meg file is nigh impossible.
Prolific manufactures a range of USB chips, including the PL2301 and PL2302 devices that allow two USB host controllers to be linked, providing a simple point to point link at up to 5Mbps. This driver supports both PL2301 andPL2302 chips.
The $99 has GOT to be losing them money, but they're counting on their $20 a month for the service, or whatever. Linux users are gonna plunk down $99, say thanks, and never look back.... Selling units at $99 can't possibly make them any money.
Well, in this case, I think it makes perfect sense. Here you have a lightweight, small, flat panel, quiet machine for $99. Can you think of any good reasons to NOT put linux on it?
I always wondered about that... I better go check it out before they realize that their loss-leader price is gonna get 'em screwed. If people aren't buying them to use their service, things might not work out too well for their business...
but browsing through them, I'd say they were Slashdotted! A random sampling shows many familiar names from these pages... way to go, guys! Most of them look well thought out and reasonable. If these letters have any impact at all, I'd say that Slashdot is now a force to be reckoned with...
Anyone who agrees with this should let their views be known (hopefully in a similarly calm manner) to the manufacturer of their favorite video card... before the flood of binary drivers starts to flow.
Do you have any examples of Red Hat's nonstandard configurations? I'm not as old and crufty as you:) so I guess I may not realize it... but I'd like to see the data behind "RedHat seems to think nothing of introducing more and more non-standard system configurations with each release."
I think that the very first thing that a Linux desktop needs to be able to do and able to do absolutely flawlessly is, download a RPM or similar package, install it with a few simple clicks, create a "shortcut" to run it on the desktop or in some program menu somewhere, and then run the program.... right now the graphical shells just plain SUCK at this.
Regarding easily installing packages... there is a Netscape plugin that will download and install an RPM (you need the root password) - it's called "Autoinst" and it's here. Then, if it's a Gnome app with a.desktop entry, it automatically gets entered into your application menu. (I'm sure there's something similar for KDE).
Slashdot Mirror
---
---
While it is true that CSS does not prevent a bit-for-bit copy of the DVD, which would be indistinguishable from the original (and thus playable in any player), the average home user does not have the ability to do this. Large scale piracy operations probably do.
So, CSS doesn't prevent professional piracy, but it is (was) a barrier to copying and distribution by a casual home user. However, it also restricted the user in other ways, such as limited support for various operating systems, and region coding.
---
Yeah, having Carmack working for free on drivers for your chip must really hurt your bottom line.
---
Can you define "works" for us? Does that mean "works today," or "works next year?" How about "Works with any distribution" or "works in a specific environment?
Works for what architecture? Works with which games? Works with which X server?
All it takes is a quick little glance back to the Windows drivers that "work" to see that this is not the road I want to go down. (Hey, here's a new 4.14prerelease-Asubrev2 driver! Works great for shadows, but has some dithering problems! To install, just edit your registry this way, delete these system files, then reboot! Oh, and it only works with UltraGame patchlevel 3!")
No thanks. Binary doesn't "work" for me anymore.
---
---
They have some free examples to show you, including The Declaration of Independence of the United States. What do you have to do to get it? Download about 6 megs of Adobe Acrobat, then download this file. It sends back CPU and hard drive identification to Adobe, and you then get your key. All this to read the Declaration of Independence....
Long live Project Gutenberg!
---
However, the clauses that disqualify it don't seem _too_ onerous (mostly, that it can only be used "for education"), and creating a Un*x port would probably be within the rights granted by the license.
The spec is open enough in any case, and a cleanroom implementation might be possible as well.
---
I forgot, the link to the source code (ex) is in the story above. It's been like 3 months since I submitted the story, so I forgot.
---
---
Prolific manufactures a range of USB chips, including the PL2301 and PL2302 devices that allow two USB host controllers to be linked, providing a simple point to point link at up to 5Mbps. This driver supports both PL2301 andPL2302 chips.
---
---
---
---
---
---
Hey, you can always stick with 2 revisions back + updates. I'll take my chances with the fun stuff.
---
---
"I do have to say that the corporate peeing match between these two is pretty amusing..."
Dateline, March 8, 2000, Hemos:
"This corporate peeing match is pretty funny to watch about who can release these machines first."
Some kind of fetish, there, Hemos?
---
---
---
I think that the very first thing that a Linux desktop needs to be able to do and able to do absolutely flawlessly is, download a RPM or similar package, install it with a few simple clicks, create a "shortcut" to run it on the desktop or in some program menu somewhere, and then run the program. ... right now the graphical shells just plain SUCK at this.
Regarding easily installing packages... there is a Netscape plugin that will download and install an RPM (you need the root password) - it's called "Autoinst" and it's here. Then, if it's a Gnome app with a .desktop entry, it automatically gets entered into your application menu. (I'm sure there's something similar for KDE).
I think that's a long way from "just sucks!"
---
So let's see... from my gateway to my laptop, I need:
$179 card for the laptop
$179 card for the PC
$69 cheesy pcmcia adapter for PC
----
$427 for the minimum setup..
Ack. Don't you hate it when post-IPO dot-com-ers decide for you what's "cheap?"
---
---
Hrm, you said CD-R, but you erased it... it was a CD-RW? That's even cooler, but I haven't seen any of those for sale...
----