Re: Linux, UDI and SCO.

Vladimir Dergachev (vladimid@red.seas.upenn.edu)
Mon, 21 Sep 1998 13:45:35 -0400 (EDT)

> Replace it with "do you want us to write nice native drivers that
> make your board look good and you don't have to support or do you want to
> continue to support all of the thousands of support calls on your buggy
> drivers". Appeal to their enlightened self interest (aka greed). Some
> manufacturers have argued that they are protecting "proprietary" designs
> by not releasing specs. That's hard to argue against when they don't
> want to give away a competative advantage. If their competitor has the
> advantage, though, because they have open source native drivers, the
> shoe is on the other foot. Make it a competative advantage to those
> vendors who supply source or specs and have native drivers. That's an
> advangage the increases as our market share increases. I don't care if
> it's geeks, dudes, dolls, or TROLLS using Linux. Convince THEM by promoting
> open source drivers as better and close source drivers as a wild ass crap
> shoot, and you've got the manufacturers by the short hairs. YES! It's
> turning FUD on it's head and using it to our advantage. So be it!
>
The above scheme you presented sounds good.. Except it doesn't work.
Example: ATI All-in-Wonder board (and generally ATI TV-tuner card).
The board came out at least a year ago. The board doesn't have drivers for
anything except win95 (i am talking about tv here). I and many people
talked with ATI for the past year to release the specs. (right now someone
is trying once more). No luck.

In fact I sent them an e-mail mentioning all the points you mention here:
that the competitors cards (based on bt848) are better supported. That ATI
cannot maintain the driver themselves (it looks this way.. otherwise where
is the NT driver ??) That their claim about NDA with other chip
manufacturers are invalid since I got all the datasheets for non-ATI
chips.

So ? A year has passed, they got another board out (Ati All-in-Wonder Pro)
and they still don't have tv driver for anything except win95.

Which is a perfect example that for people in the management logic isn't
always a good argument. I think saying something like " Help support free
software movement" would work better with them.. I have yet to try this :)

> So many people are worrying that we will loose our leverage with
> the manufacturers as Linux goes mainstream that they are loosing sight of
> our real leverage. We are currently in the cat bird seat to teach people
> that open source is GOOD. People use Linux because it's good. Linux is
> open source and Linux is better than close source OS's. Inference: Open
> Source is better than Close Source. Beat the drum! Get the lemmings
> in line as they sign up! Something made them want to use Linux. Use
> that to drill it into their heads that the reason they want to use linux
> is the same reason Open Source is good and close source is bad. Then
> our leverage increases.
>

You don't drill anything into their heads. The management is inherently
fearful of things they can't control. Releasing specifications to public
is one of those things. An UDI is giving them a good excuse to continue
the policy.

Vladimir Dergachev

> > Stefan
>
> Mike
> --
> Michael H. Warfield | (770) 985-6132 | mhw@WittsEnd.com
> (The Mad Wizard) | (770) 925-8248 | http://www.wittsend.com/mhw/
> NIC whois: MHW9 | An optimist believes we live in the best of all
> PGP Key: 0xDF1DD471 | possible worlds. A pessimist is sure of it!
>
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