"Yes, that's right, the Linux kernel community is offering all companies free Linux driver development. No longer do you have to suffer through all of the different examples in the Linux Device Driver Kit, or pick through the thousands of example drivers in the Linux kernel source tree trying to determine which one is the closest to what you need to do. All that is needed is some kind of specification that describes how your device works, or the email address of an engineer that is willing to answer questions every once in a while. A few sample devices might be good to have so that debugging doesn't have to be done by email, but if necessary, that can be done."
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Member since:2006-04-28
I hope you're right. I first thought when reading the announcement that there was nothing new about it except a great PR movement. But you might be right that this legal framework for NDA requirements might be what was missing before.
However, I have a question. If a manufacturer don't want to give out its specs, even if the kernel guy who writes the driver doesn't give them out, the open source driver will be there for anyone to look it. I don't know much about drivers and hardware, but I thought that reading a driver's source code was as good as reading the specs, if not better, to know how something works. Or am I wrong and the driver reveals nothing important about the device?
Member since:2005-07-07
If a manufacturer don't want to give out its specs, even if the kernel guy who writes the driver doesn't give them out, the open source driver will be there for anyone to look
The spec might not be available as a separate document but be part of vendor internal documentation describing other details of the device.
A developer under NDA could be given access to the whole documentation and only the information necessary for interfacing with the device will end up in the driver code.
Member since:2006-10-11
Luis: I don't know much about drivers and hardware, but I thought that reading a driver's source code was as good as reading the specs, if not better, to know how something works. Or am I wrong and the driver reveals nothing important about the device?
I'm certainly not an expert on driver development, so if somebody has more information, please share.
That being said, imagine the device as a black box, an encapsulated object that offers a documented interface -- "the specs." If you know UML think of a class diagram. That's all you need to operate the device but you don't know anything about what's happening inside. That's basically it.
Member since:
2006-10-11
This is the interesting part:
From the Announcement: If your company is worried about NDA issues surrounding your device's specifications, we have arranged a program with OSDL/TLF's Tech Board to provide the legal framework where a company can interact with a member of the kernel community in order to properly assure that all needed NDA requirements are fulfilled.
Companies could have given out specs before, but often they didn't for legal reasons, this seems to be addressed now. Any manufacturer not jumping in on this is not interested in making money, simple as that.