Operating Systems > Linux and UNIX

End of the world will come before ...

(1/1)

ksym:
... the Linux kernel developers can implement a STANDARDISED
binary driver interface, like most commercial UNIXes
and other decent $$$-eat-shit overvaporatingsystems have.

Hmm, i've kinda used to the fact that every time i
upgrade my kernel, i gotta rebuild all my external modules =)
At least i can tell other lame-ass teenage hackers that
my mental stamina and haxxoring skills get better all the
time ...

BTW, do BSD systems have a unified binary driver interface?
I've heard that BSD-standard is quite neat, something that
Linux would desparately need ...

WMD:

--- Quote ---End of the world will come before ...
... the Linux kernel developers can implement a STANDARDISED
binary driver interface, like most commercial UNIXes
and other decent $$$-eat-shit overvaporatingsystems have.
--- End quote ---

They could.  But Linus doesn't want to.  Simple as that.


--- Quote ---BTW, do BSD systems have a unified binary driver interface?
--- End quote ---

Not between major releases (4.x-5.x) AFAIK.  Perhaps toadlife knows this better.

toadlife:
There really are not many third party drivers for BSD, so aside from Nvidia, they pretty much all come built into the OS.

Between FreeBSD 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4 my Nvidia driver continued to work. The nvidia driver does not work with 4.x though - but there were major changes from the 4.x branch to the 5.x branch.

I'm pretty sure Nvidia's current driver also works with the 6.x branch of FreeBSD. I think the first 6.x release of FreeBSD is due later this year.

ksym:

--- Quote from: WMD ---They could.  But Linus doesn't want to.  Simple as that.

--- End quote ---

Yeah. This is kinda sad ... we got a nice operating systems,
but it does not have the properties needed by ISV's and
proprietary hardware vendors :(

Linus maybe has some ethical reasons for not stabilising
the ABI (or not making Unified Driver Interface).
Can't blame him ...

WMD:

--- Quote ---Linus maybe has some ethical reasons for not stabilising
the ABI (or not making Unified Driver Interface).
Can't blame him ...
--- End quote ---

He does, actually.  He's a proponent of open drivers.

But really, it's not hard to make a closed-source Linux driver.  You just gotta cheat a little, like what nVidia does.

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