[clug] Free Ubuntu?

[Sam Couter]

Robin Shannon <robin at shannon.id.au> wrote:
> If a reasonable number of people actually
> used FOSS (and i mean desktop rather than server users) then ATI and
> nVidia (and others) would open thier drivers becuase there would be an
> ecconomic incentive for them to do so.

Bullshit.

This only works if most users refuse to purchase hardware that requires
closed source drivers. They won't, they'll just use the buggy, unstable
and unsupportable closed source drivers. They will then blame the
stability problems on Linux, not the drivers. They also won't understand
why closed source software isn't supportable by the community, and get
cranky when people say "Your kernel is tainted, we can't help you".

The economic incentive to open source the drivers, or at a minimum release
hardware interface specs, will only come when people refuse to purchase
hardware that requires closed source drivers. You will never see open
source drivers or hardware interface specs while you continue to pay for
what's already on offer. If you accept closed source drivers and pay money
for the hardware that requires them, you're part of the problem, not the
solution.

My laptop has an Intel graphics chip with Free drivers. My previous
computer system purchase had a Matrox Millennium something with Free
drivers. I've already spoken with my dollars, how about you?

[ Okay, who let the raving Free Software nerd in here? ]
-- 
Sam Couter         |  mailto:sam at couter.id.au
                   |  jabber:sam at teknohaus.dyndns.org
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