Re: [FC1], 2.6.8-rc2 kernel, new motherboard problems

[Gene Heskett]

On Saturday 24 July 2004 02:06, Lee Revell wrote:
>On Sat, 2004-07-24 at 01:58, Gene Heskett wrote:
>> On Friday 23 July 2004 20:55, Lee Revell wrote:
>> >On Thu, 2004-07-22 at 14:49, Nuno Monteiro wrote:
>> >> On 2004.07.22 13:49, Gene Heskett wrote:
>> >> > 00:04.0 Ethernet controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2
>> >> > Ethernet Controller (rev a1)
>> >> >         Subsystem: Biostar Microtech Int'l Corp: Unknown
>> >> > device 2301
>> >> >
>> >> > However, this, nor the xconfig helps, still don't indicate
>> >> > which driver I should be using, or where to get it if its not
>> >> > in the kernel's tree yet a/o 2.6.8-rc2.  So thats the next
>> >> > piece of data I need.
>> >>
>> >> Hi Gene,
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> I believe you'll need forcedeth.c for this one. It's called
>> >> "Reverse Engineered nForce Ethernet support", under Device
>> >> Driver -> Networking -> Ethernet 10/100 Mbit.
>> >
>> >Wow, nVidia won't release the specs for a *10/100 ethernet
>> > controller*? Having to reverse engineer a network driver is
>> > ridiculous in this day and age.  I can understand binary-only
>> > graphics drivers, there is a lot of valuable IP in there, but
>> > this is a freaking network card.  What do they expect people to
>> > do?
>> >
>> >Maybe some bad press would set them straight.
>> >
>> >Lee
>>
>> Nvidia is immune to bad press, and probably cannot release a thing
>> other than some API help due to copyright contracts with the
>> coders who wrote their winderz drivers for them,  The only cure
>> would be for them to hired a couple of dozen programmers of the
>> minimum quality the open source programmers exhibit, which I
>> happen to think is top notch, and the CEO can only see outgo
>> without compensatory income for all that salary, so they contract
>> it out for a known cost, and get tied up in restrictive contracts.
>
>I am not talking about them releasing driver code, I am just talking
>about datasheets so we can write our own driver, something that
> tells you which bits to write to which registers to get it to do
> $FOO.
>
>Their net cost: $0.
>
>Lee

I'm under the impression the forcedeth writers did have access to this 
data.  Is this incorrect? The qusetion is directed at the forcedeth 
authors.  If you are one, then please clarify.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
There are 4 boxes to be used in defense of liberty. 
Soap, ballot, jury, and ammo.
Please use in that order, starting now.  -Ed Howdershelt, Author
Additions to this message made by Gene Heskett are Copyright 2004, 
Maurice E. Heskett, all rights reserved.
-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/