Re: Fedora - DELL ?

[BRUCE STANLEY <bruce.stanley@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hikaru Amano <kagesenshi.87@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 3/16/07, Les Mikesell wrote:

> Please explain then. Keep in mind that I have windows machines that
> haven't crashed in years with hardware that Linux doesn't support and
> Macs with 3rd party drivers that are equally stable so I won't believe
> it if you say that can't happen.

the linux kernel changes rapidly ... closed source kernel modules
provided by companies hard to keep up with the changes - fixing the
kernel module due to the kernel change equates to cost , and
something related to cost, the manufacturers wont do it fast or maybe
they'll stop it altogether because they couldnt keep up with it .. as
for Macs, their hardwares are selected to be compatible with the OS in
the first place, thats why Linux need to have OEM support, so that we
can get machines with hardwares tuned for Linux ..

yes we can make the kernel and programs be backward compatible for old
drivers (like what microsoft doing) .. but that will result in the
kernel being bloated day-to-day (like what you see in windows,
ridiculously large)

closed source drivers "taints the kernel" because after you install
it, foss developers cant fix it - why? - because its closed source of
course, yay~. The message is only for developers to identify which
kernel problem they won't need to waste their time trying to debug
it... and to the user side, its just a bunch of annoying message ...
(perhaps a kernel parameter to silence this??)

openly accepting closed source kernel modules will bring more problems
if lots of manufacturer made closed sourced drivers - the kernel
become harder to fix and/or improve - even now, sometimes when the
kernel changes , Nvidia & ATi drivers breaks ... 2 broken and
unfixable drivers are more than enough .. Linux doesnt need more ...

my 2c
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I have heard this arugment before and I don't buy it.

Why does the driver interface have to change from kernal release to
release anyway?

Develop a universal driver interface and leave it alone, then the
hardware vendors will not have to keep re-inventing the wheel
everytime a new version of the kernal comes out.