[Info-vax] Device specifications, was: Re: Console optiosn on x86

[David Froble]

Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2015-04-30, David Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>> In a perfect world, the people who build devices and write drivers for 
>> weendoze and Linux would also provide drivers, or parts of drivers and 
>> complete specs, for other types of systems.  At a minimum there should 
>> be adequate specs.
>>
> 
> Oh, you poor, poor, naive person. :-)

Yep, that's me  ...

> Here's a quick challenge for you: try to obtain the _full_ datsheets for
> either the FTDI or Prolific PL-2303 USB serial port ranges without having
> to sign a NDA. (And good luck finding someone at Prolific you can talk
> to about signing an NDA unless you are either a massive company or a
> Linux kernel driver author or similar.)

When it comes to NDAs, sometimes there is a valid reason, and sometimes 
you say "no thanks, I'll give my business to someone else".

Some companies are willing to restrict who they will business with.  At 
times this can be equated with "all your eggs in one basket" and what 
happens when that "one basket" disappears?

> Your next challenge is to obtain _any_ official documentation about the
> NVIDIA chipsets so that you can write your own _fully_ capable driver for
> the NVIDIA chipsets.

I've got to wonder about that.  Yeah, as long as there are enough 
customers, and really, users don't want to write drivers.  But video is 
now being included on the CPU chips.  Is Nvidia "over the hill" and 
headed downward?  Remember, weendoze desktops is not just a "mature 
market", but quite possibly a "declining market".

Also consider, AMD wants people to use the GPUs on the CPU chip, and 
apparently is providing specs.

> In FTDI's favour however, they were at least willing to _talk_ to me
> about the NDA process even though this was just for a personal project.
> In the end however, I don't sign NDAs in this type of situation, so I
> went down the open standards USB CDC ACM route.

And this is the proper answer.  "If you won't tell me how to use your 
product, why should I purchase it?"

>> Also, perhaps market forces could help.  Support the documented devices, 
>> people might use them more, and those not providing documentation might 
>> either start doing so, or go out of business.
> 
> Most people just install the manufacturer supplied drivers on Windows
> and have done with it. A number of manufacturers also supply binary
> drivers for various Linux versions which takes care of much of the
> remaining demand.
> 
> Simon.
> 

Yes, that's the way things have been.  Some people have "interesting 
concepts".  But that particular bubble just might be getting close to 
bursting.  Where will such providers be when it does?

Also, if you think about why things are this way, consider how many 
third party devices would have gotten sold if the mfgs hadn't provided 
the drivers.