Re: HARDWARE: Open-Source-Friendly Graphics Cards -- Viable?

[Florian Schmidt]

On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 18:02:51 -0400
Timothy Miller <miller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> In short, what I have been proposing to my superiors is the development 
> of a graphics card specifically for open source systems.  This means 
> full disclosure on all register interfaces so that no one has to deal 
> with anything closed source (BIOS included).  The goal here is to 
> produce a graphics card which is a Free Software geek's dream in terms 
> of openness.  If Tech Source (me being its avatar) can develop a 
> relationship with the Linux (and BSD) community, users and developers 
> can get a product that they want without being locked out by hardware 
> vendors that feel they have to protect every last little bit of IP 
> relating to their products.  The EXPRESS PURPOSE of this product is to 
> be free-software-friendly.

Maybe a graphics card is too coslty to develop and implement. I would really
like to see such a project for an open soundcard. I mean how expensive can
it be to slap a dsp plus some DA/AD's on a pci board? A simple 4in/4out card
doing up to 48/16 or even 96/24 could probably be developed much cheaper
than a graphics card. And it could serve as a test on how people would react
to such an "open" hardware product.

flo

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