Two ways Microsoft sabotages Linux desktop adoption (warning: long rant follows)

[Gene Heskett]

On Wednesday 15 February 2006 01:07, Mike McCarty wrote:
>Gene Heskett wrote:
>> On Tuesday 14 February 2006 23:07, Mike McCarty wrote:
>>>I found this: http://www.research.ibm.com/gsal/tcpa/
>>>which states (in part)
>>>
>>>[QUOTE MODE ON]
>>>
>>>We have the chip running under Linux, and have studied it
>>> extensively. In order to clarify a lot of misunderstanding about
>>> the chip, we are making available some helpful white papers and
>>> open source device drivers for Linux, so that interested people can
>>> test and use the chip in an open environment.
>>>
>>>[QUOTE MODE OFF]
>>
>> But will they be truely open SOURCE Mike, as in can we look at the
>> code and fix it for our uses?  That may be the day pigs can use hell
>> for a landing strip.
>
>Well, I haven't downloaded it and seen the terms of use, but...
>===================================
>"TCPA Device Driver for Linux"
>
>This package contains full source code for a Linux device driver for
>the TCPA chip, along with example programs, as described in our
> article "Take Control of TCPA", in the August 2003 issue of Linux
> Journal. ===================================
>
Call me paranoid, Mike, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if the chip 
hasn't been redesigned in the 2.5 years since that article was 
published, strictly because it was published.  Redesigned so that 
virtually nothing that was germain then, is equally germain now.

The acid test is of course to obtain such a mobo, build the code and see 
if it works.  I've got a bottle of Rock Green Lite that says it won't 
do as stated in many, often subtle ways.  That of course will trigger 
the curious, and it will soon be fixed, then they do an Apple & we fix 
it in 2 weeks, repeat ad nausium till either an OSS developer is in 
jail for a DMCS violation, or they decide its not worth the hassle 
since a set of chip masks can run toward a million dollars today.  
Humm, maybe if enough went bankrupt?  Intrigueing thought that. I want 
a ringside seat if I don't fall over first. :)

>The intent seems to be more to prevent rogue programs than MDA.
>In the white paper they claim it isn't even particularly suited
>to that. The source is on sourceforge
>
>http://sourceforge.net/projects/tpmdd/
>
>Mike
>--
>p="p=%c%s%c;main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}";main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}
>This message made from 100% recycled bits.
>You have found the bank of Larn.
>I can explain it for you, but I can't understand it for you.
>I speak only for myself, and I am unanimous in that!

-- 
Cheers, Gene
People having trouble with vz bouncing email to me should add the word
'online' between the 'verizon', and the dot which bypasses vz's
stupid bounce rules.  I do use spamassassin too. :-)
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Copyright 2006 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.