[mythtv-users] Current wisdom on PVR-150/250/350/500

[Sam Varshavchik]

Paul Pick writes:

> I agree with most of what you wrote (I bought an nvidia card
> and use the non-free driver) but I couldn't let this bit go:
> 
>> My point was that people who are gung-ho on the "I only use things
>> that are open source, nay on nvidia for not being open" should
>> probably expand their horizons a bit and instead look at how well it
>> works in linux. It's like saying "I only want to buy a car that comes
>> in turquoise blue" and not looking at any of the reviews of the car,
>> the specs, the price, or safety.
> 
> Your analogy trivializes the FOSS viewpoint. I think that FOSS
> folks would rather you likened their preference in automobiles
> to something like "own vs use-until-we-decide-to-take-it-back"
> or "seat belts vs big-sharp-stick-in-steering-column" or
> something along those lines. (Hmm, car-software analogies don't
> work so well...)

Right.  That's not the right analogy.

You will find that the "I only use things that are open source" crowd tends 
to be mostly experienced developers, maintainers, and other people who have 
actually contributed and invested their own time and money -- often a quite 
substantial amount -- into free software[1], and who understand the negative 
consequences of continuing to perpetuate and promote the usage of closed, 
proprietary drivers.  And users of binary video card drivers are mostly 
users and light hobbyists.

The maintainer of the USB subsystem has served notice that the next major 
kernel release will not allow non-GPLed USB driver code.  Although I do not 
keep a very close eye on LKML, I do not recall seeing any objections from 
Linus.

See http://news.com.com/New+Linux+look+fuels+old+debate/2100-7344_3-6061491.html?tag=nl

I have a sneaky feeling that the days of non-GPLed video card binary blobs 
are numbered.  That's just a personal hunch of mine, and I haven't really 
seen anything to indicate anything of this sort coming down the pike.

That same CNET article, on page 2, states that Intel is planning to put out 
an "open-source"[1] driver for their graphics chipsets.  Once that happens, 
I think there's a decent possibility of a push to drop support for non-GPLed 
video card binary blobs.  Both Nvidia and ATI have been leeching off the 
Linux community for a long time, and people don't like it.

I think it's just a matter of time before the other shoe drops.  Of 
course, there's going to be a major dust-up; there will be a lot of hootin' 
and hollerin'.  But the answer to that will be: go get the Intel graphics 
chipset.

[1] As an aside, in this context "free software" is a more technically 
correct term, than "open source".

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 191 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mythtv.org/pipermail/mythtv-users/attachments/20060417/c5123754/attachment.pgp