[Gllug] Binary Only Modules are a cheap trick (was webcams on linux)

[Jonathan Harker]

On Wednesday February 19 2003 11:55, Thomas Charles Robinson wrote:
> On Wed, 2003-02-19 at 10:47, David Pashley wrote:
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dylan" <dylan at dylan.me.uk>
> > To: <gllug at linux.co.uk>
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 10:20 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Gllug] webcams on linux
> >
> > > I'd much rather have a functional piece of hardware with binary only
> > > modules, than non-functional hardware!
> >
> > There are at least 3 problems with binary modules.
> >
> > 1. Any bugs you have to wait for the manufacturer to fix.
> >
> > 2. You have to wait for the manufacturer to update the driver to work
> > with new versions of the kernel/program (eg sane or gphoto2). Many
> > modules come out for only one (or a selection of) kernel versions. This
> > means you can only run those kernels. This is esp bad when they target
> > kernels shipped with redhat or SuSE. These will probably not work on
> > Debian for example. You also get manufacturers (like nVidia) who ship
> > binary objects and a small source code wrapper. When you try to move to a
> > 2.[56] kernel, these drivers will not work.
>
> <RANT>

   <snip actual rant>

> </RANT>

Imagine if you will, dear readers, a bloke sitting half-awake, minding his own 
business infront of his PC... then suddenly

*BLAARGH!*

Hair is blasted backwards, a la Too Much Coffee Man or Calvin & Hobbes! 
Hmmm... world+dog says: "Go to bed Jon, you're talking bollocks again! And 
stop drinking all the Talisker!"

-- 
Jonathan Harker
www.jonathanharker.co.uk

"Love makes fools, marriage cuckolds, and patriotism malevolent imbeciles."
    - Paul Leautaud, "Passe-temps"


-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug