4 ms·

Gotta vehemently disagree with one of the issues listed: If you used OSSv1 or v2, or v3, you would understand why OSSv4 failed: You had to _pay_ for sound card

Gotta vehemently disagree with one of the issues listed: If you used OSSv1 or v2, or v3, you would understand why OSSv4 failed: You had to _pay_ for sound card drivers in linux. I had an Opti OPL3-SA sound card. The card cost $19 new. In order to use it in linux, I had to pay 4Front $25 to use the damn thing in linux. if I didn't pay the ransom for hardware I already owned, I was limited to 30 minutes of sound output. then I had to not just modprobe, but wipe cruft from my filesystem and reinstall. It cost $5 more to buy a Yamaha sound card than I would've paid 4front, but they didn't deserve a dime of my money, and Yamaha's drivers were free. Alsa may suck, but it's free and good enough. and 4Front doesn't deserve to have its code in the linux kernel.

nickpsecurity 11y ago
I could see why that wouldn't be popular. But you're also saying it was unacceptable that people didn't do a lot of work for you for free. As in, FOSS crowd isn't doing it, almost no market for it, someone does it for a fee, and it isn't acceptable due to the fee. Kind of like buying a Yamaha bike, demanding different steering + tires, them saying no due to costs vs demand, offering to do it for a fee, and you say "why would I pay for the mod if I already bought the bike?" Then they stare at you confused.
- anonbanker 11y ago
  if OPTi had written the drivers, sure, I might have paid. Just to show that linux support is appreciated. In fact, this is a decent driver model, if companies actually wanted to make us put our money where our mouth is. However, 4front held people for _ransom_ on a free operating system. that's way different. that's Bitkeeper-made-git-happen levels of different.
  - nickpsecurity 11y ago
    "However, 4front held people for _ransom_ on a free operating system. that's way different. that's Bitkeeper-made-git-happen levels of different." What do you mean by that specifically? You're fine with people charging for drivers but they apparently did something specific that was worse.

nickpsecurity 11y ago

I could see why that wouldn't be popular. But you're also saying it was unacceptable that people didn't do a lot of work for you for free. As in, FOSS crowd isn't doing it, almost no market for it, someone does it for a fee, and it isn't acceptable due to the fee. Kind of like buying a Yamaha bike, demanding different steering + tires, them saying no due to costs vs demand, offering to do it for a fee, and you say "why would I pay for the mod if I already bought the bike?" Then they stare at you confused.

anonbanker 11y ago
if OPTi had written the drivers, sure, I might have paid. Just to show that linux support is appreciated. In fact, this is a decent driver model, if companies actually wanted to make us put our money where our mouth is. However, 4front held people for _ransom_ on a free operating system. that's way different. that's Bitkeeper-made-git-happen levels of different.
- nickpsecurity 11y ago
  "However, 4front held people for _ransom_ on a free operating system. that's way different. that's Bitkeeper-made-git-happen levels of different." What do you mean by that specifically? You're fine with people charging for drivers but they apparently did something specific that was worse.