ATI to provide specs (was: Re: SMedia 3362)

[Shawn Rutledge]

On 9/10/07, Harald Welte <laforge at openmoko.org> wrote:
> guys, as I indicated before, we already have the best possible support
> from Smedia.  Not only have we some promises or statements, but we
> actually have signed a contract with them, binding them to support us
> to the utmost level.
>
> As indicated previously, this agreement includes a statement that
> OpenMoko will work on to-be-publicized documentation on the SMedia chip,
> which will be jointly released at some point.
>
> So what exactly is not enough?  You will get 100% free software drivers,
> down to the latest bit, no proprietary firmware whatsoever, plus
> hardware documentation that will be prepared by OpenMoko ?

I didn't understand before that it would end up being 100% open
source.  I thought you had to sign an NDA?  But if the driver is to be
completely open, and the documents are to be completely open too, what
is the purpose of the NDA?  Or maybe I just misunderstood completely.

Anyway it sounds like the best choice in that you do not get anywhere
near this kind of support from the others.

> device that does not have any working driver at all, but with a
> thousand-page manual (rather than the other way around: first have FOSS
> Drivers, and then get the docs as soon as our incredibly small team
> finds time to do so)?

No, getting it working is the more important of the two, of course.
But as someone else pointed out, maybe there is the possibility that
someone outside your small team could help, if the NDA doesn't prevent
it.

What kind of driver are you planning on?  (I don't think I saw that
answered yet, sorry if I missed it)  KDrive, DRI, etc...

> Do you think we would be foolish enough not to talk to all vendors of
> the respective components?  I really feel personally very sad that
> anyone believes that I am in this project for anything else then to
> provide the highest level of freedom for both hardware and software that
> is possible.

Well the choices for open hardware are always slim, so far.  I just
thought some people might be putting more emphasis on OpenGL ES
support than openness.  But it sounds like you have really made the
best choice.