AMD/ATI paradigm is changing, they released some specifications for graphic chipsets. You can check it out on their site, and yes, it is much more than nothing. I think they finally got it, to be able to sell they must help open source.

It’s not really a parade…I just want to put up a warning to others who might be wondering whether this is a good system for OS-level projects.

To your points:

1. I’m aware of the past binary-only graphics driver issues. I just didn’t expect that this would be a problem with the Tegra 2 SoC as a whole, with the exception of the NVIDIA “secret sauce” within the graphics subsystem, which I did not expect would be publicly documented. The documentation for the ARM cores is available from ARM Ltd. The other system components are pretty typical. So outside of the graphics subsystem, I wouldn’t expect that NVIDIA would have much to gain by withholding the technical details that would allow non-Linux OSes to support the Tegra SoC. Further, I always had the impression that the Tegra 2 was an open platform from all the talk I hear about Android devices being open and the Tegra 2 being used in those devices. I hadn’t heard of any uproar in the Linux community about Tegra 2 documentation being unavailable. On the contrary, all I could find was fan-boy-esque reviews by the tech blogs.

2. I think that’s easier for you to discern in the light of what I’ve found, than it was when I was researching this. I got the impression that it was intended to be an open platform from that page. If it’s not, then it is misleading, at best. I read “open-source” to be all-inclusive, not just Linux apps. The fact that developer units are available with a JTAG interface gives the impression that low-level software development is anticipated. If other operating system ports are not anticipated, they should clarify that and say “CompuLab is committed to the _Linux_ community.” From what I’ve read in the forums, though, I don’t think that’s the case. I still have the impression they’d like it to be open, but, as you say, it’s mostly NVIDIA’s fault (though I still hold Trim-Slice responsible for not being up-front about the reality of the situation in their advertising material). P.S. I requested and was immediately granted access to the “private developer’s zone”; the Tegra 2 information is not available there, either. There’s not much in there at all; it gives you access to the binary-only graphics driver packages released by NVIDIA, and that’s about it.

That said, from recent discussion with the TS product manager in the forums, it appears that NVIDIA is working to produce a technical reference manual for the Tegra 2 that will eventually be publicly available.

Now my only gripe is that they refuse to sell me a JTAG board / FFC cable without also buying the top end model, even though my board has the required connector and the posted reference manual says “The connector is compatible with the FFC cable (CompuLab P/N 410X60240) available from CompuLab.” That was going to be a whole separate post, but I don’t think I have the energy for it.

So, not to piss on your parade because I generally agree that things (both software and hardware) should be more open but a few points.

1. Unless you have been living under a rock (rock = OS X, Windows) it should come as no surprise to you that anything NVIDIA (or ATI/AMD for that matter) is not, never has been, and is not likely to ever be “open”. Linux/BSD developers have been struggling with creating non-proprietary drivers for their video hardware for more than a decade.

2. “Open-source” != “Open-platform/hardware”. While Trim-Slice seems to be committed to open-source I don’t see anywhere that states (and I will admit, I didn’t look really hard) that they are open-platform. In fact on the linked page they state “Members gain access to a private developer’s zone and are the first to receive pre-release drivers and distributions.” To me that is an indication that their open-source developer program isn’t aimed at low-level development. They are expecting you to use provided drivers.

Like I said, I don’t disagree with your frustration, but really, I think in this case a simple Google search for any information related to development for any piece of NVIDIA hardware would have made it pretty obvious you were on your own. Either way, I hardly think it’s Trim-Slice’s fault, they don’t control what NVIDIA does or allows them to do.

Oh, and BTW, happy 300th post to RepTIDE!

That is fine and all. Though you assume your translation is correct and mine isn’t (I made the same assumption). Either way the point is the Christian God is about as evil as one could find. Regardless of whether or not he killed them or just maimed/mauled them, regardless of whether or not they were children, teens, or adults it seems pretty harsh to send bears after anyone.

The continual dismissing of Old Testament scripture is disingenuous at best. But the real problem is Old Testament is only ignored or swept under the rug, or re-interpreted when the thing happening in any particular passage is abhorrent. But when it aligns with current day Christian agenda then it is “the word of God and should be take literally.”

You can’t (or shouldn’t be able to) have it both ways.

Heh. Quoting Old Testament to Christians seems kind of pointless since stories like this only serve to show how harsh things were for mankind before Jesus’ death on the cross. It’s akin to making fun of old laws that were repealed long ago. But to play along… The copy I have, which is apparently from 1984 and was supposed to be based on the most accurate translations available at the time, says “youths”, not “children”, and “mauled” instead of “tare” (a verb that seems to be so ancient I can’t find a good definition). So as far as I can tell, it’s talking about a gang of high-school-aged kids, and it doesn’t say they were killed. And of course, this is taken completely out of context. This follows right after a story about Elisha fixing the water supply for a city that was obedient to God. It’s basically a cautionary tale for those (of Old Testament times) that were disrespectful and disobedient to God. The notes in the edition I have say:

Since Bethel was the royal cult center of the northern kings and Elijah and Elisha were known to frequent Samaria (perhaps even as their main residence), the youths from Bethel no doubt assumed that Elisha was going up to Samaria to continue Elijah’s struggle against royal apostasy. (Some believe that the youths, in their mocking, were telling Elisha to ascend to heaven as Elijah had done.) Baldness was uncommon among the ancient Jews, and luxuriant hair seems to have been viewed as a sign of strength and vigor. By calling Elisha “baldhead,” the youths from Bethel expressed that city’s utter disdain for the Lord’s representative, who, they felt, had no power. Elisha pronounced a curse similar to the covenant curse of Lev 26:21-22. The result gave warning of the judgement that would come on the entire nation should it persist in disobedience and apostasy. Thus Elisha’s first acts were indicative of his ministry that would follow: God’s covenant blessings would come to those who looked to him, but God’s covenant curses would fall on those who turned away from him.

The referenced Lev 26:21-22 quote above (out of context) is:

“‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.’”

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