Question about commercial drivers

**kuser123** · 06-16-2004, 03:34 PM

Hi all!
It is a bit irritating that knoppix users have to install some commercial drivers themselves. It would be great if it is possible to have it already installed. Yes I know real open source enthusiats are against commercial software at all. But we all have to accept that for some complex hardware like a video card is the driver is part of the company secret which is essential for their survive on this hard market. So they never will release their drivers as open source.
For me it is ok when this companies write good drivers, provide good installers and allow distributors and hackers to pack the drivers for free on their CDs which they publish on the internet for public use.
So I'm asking here if these companies have already been asked if they would allow to pack their drivers on a Knoppix CD and if they agreed? And when yes which companies have been asked and have dis/agreed?
Cheers, Martin

**j.drake** · 06-16-2004, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by kuser123

Hi all!
It is a bit irritating that knoppix users have to install some commercial drivers themselves. It would be great if it is possible to have it already installed. Yes I know real open source enthusiats are against commercial software at all. But we all have to accept that for some complex hardware like a video card is the driver is part of the company secret which is essential for their survive on this hard market. So they never will release their drivers as open source.
For me it is ok when this companies write good drivers, provide good installers and allow distributors and hackers to pack the drivers for free on their CDs which they publish on the internet for public use.
So I'm asking here if these companies have already been asked if they would allow to pack their drivers on a Knoppix CD and if they agreed? And when yes which companies have been asked and have dis/agreed?
Cheers, Martin

I agree with all you said. I don't care how we get there (commercial or not), as long as driver maintenance is zero-cost and I can get packages to work. I see no logic in discarding commercial drivers on account of an inflexible bias.

JD