[FSF India] WDM emulator for GNU/Linux

[Vivekananda Prabhu]

> Message: 1
> From: ab@gnu.org.in

> > Windos is Semi Mircokernel model. Its very much
> different
> from traditional Monolithic unix kernel
> implementations.

Would Hurd be a better choice then as it is based on
Microkernel Model?

> WinDDK API specifications aren't consistent.

When were the Win APIs conistent? Some Win32 API run
only on Win 9x & others run only on NT (this inludes
some of the Graphics APIs). Mainly Win 9x, ME APIS
used by majority could be targeted leaving out NT, 2K
& CE APIs 

> Binary compatibility to .vxd, .sys and .dll drivers
> is
> impossible. Even source compatibility to WinDDK or
> WDM
> is not worth the effort. First of all it will hugely
> pollute the kernel and will make it more complex.

I am not suggesting changes to the Linux kernel to
support WDM. I am just suggesting an "emulator" to run
Windows device drivers on top of Linux. When non-free
VMWare can run entire Win XX OSes (with all device
drivers) on top of GNU/Linux, Is it technically
impossible for Free Software to do so?( I am not
promoting VMWare, I am just giving an e.g. As an aside
I am ruing the non-availability of Free S/W
replacements to VMWare which I find to be a very
valuable tool for OS developers)

> Linux driver model is far superior and easier then
> WDM.

I agree with you

> With a fraction of effort we will be able to achieve
> 
> the availability of device drivers natively

But after how many failed Mexican School efforts? The
fact is most Mexican schools are still running
non-free Windows OS inspite of genuine wish to switch
over to GNU/Linux for non-availablity of Free Linux
device drivers

Though I genuinely appreciate & second your wish that
Linux device drivers should be written for every
available device, It requires all hardware vendors to
make their Hardware specs Free. Expecting them to make
it Free will be like wishing M$ to make Windows &
Apple to make 'Aqua' Free.

> Message: 2
> From: klak@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in (Khuzaima A.
> Lakdawala)
> Date: 11 Sep 2001 15:40:24 +0530
> 
> 
> I don't know about the technical feasibility of such
> a solution but
> from a Free Software perspective this is definitely
> *not* a good
> idea. This "solution" is worse than the problem.
> Whatever little
> incentive there may be for development of free
> drivers will also be
> lost.

I do agree it is *not* a good idea. But I can't think
of any *practical* good ideas to prevent Mexican
School fiasco from recurring other than dreaming that
all Hardware vendors will one day make their Specs
Free
 

> It will have the complete opposite and undesired
> effect of serving as
> "crutches" for the proprietary device driver vendors
> who will laugh
> all the way to the bank.

Infact they can still laugh all the way to bank by
writing non-free Linux device drivers.

Please read it from Linus Torvalds (LT) own words

(http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources/book/linus.html
- Section "Kernel Modules")

"We ended up deciding (or maybe I ended up decreeing)
that system calls would not be considered to be
linking against the kernel. That is, any program
running on top of Linux would not be considered
covered by the GPL. This decision was made very early
on and I even added a special read-me file (see
Appendix B) to make sure everyone knew about it.
Because of this commercial vendors can write programs
for Linux without having to worry about the GPL."

The choice is between "crutches" to run Win Device
drivers now or no-free Linux device drivers tommorrow
(hoping that GNU/Linux replaces Windows as most
popular OS in the future & device driver vendors are
compelled to support it)

> > solution should be to have Free drivers for *all*
> > available hardware)

This requires *all* hardware specs to be open. There
was an initiative on the side-lines of Open Source
called "Open Hardware" to make Hardware with Open
specs. This initiative has sunk without any trace.
Even their web-site has closed down
(www.openhardware.com)


> > But we should not forget that crutches *have*
> played
> > an important role in Free Software history.
> > RMS/FSF/GNU Project developed many of their GNU
> tools
> > on top of non-free Unix OSes.Linux kernel itself
> was
> > developed as a part by part replacement of
> non-free
> > Minix kernel
> 
> These comparisons are not applicable. The above
> non-free softwares
> were used for further development of free software.
> Facilitating the
> use of proprietary drivers has no such benefit.

Running a Win device driver on top of WDM emulator
should give a *determined* hacker enough opportunity
to reverse engineer the inner workings of the device
driver. Right now do we have any tools to reverse
engineer non-free Windows drivers?

> Again, the comparison is misplaced. Wine serves a
> legitimate free
> software use -- the ability to run free software
> written for Windows
> without installing non-free Windows operating
> system. 

Can I get a list of such Free Windows software which
donot have Free GNU/Linux equivalents? The major
backer of WINE project is Corel which is using WINE to
port it's non-free Corel Office to GNU/Linux from
Windows.Other corporate backers are backing WINE to
port their non-free Windows software to GNU/Linux free
of development cost

> If someone uses
> Wine to run non-free MS Office he obviously has
> nothing to do with
> free software and he might as well install Windows.

Well,there are people who like the Freedom provided by
GNU/Linux , but want to read MS-Office files sent by
clients/customers for business reasons.GNOME Office,
Star Office etc. don't yet support MS Office format
totally.

So the options are
1)Go dual boot -- do you like to reboot every time you
get an email attachment?
2)Run non-free VMWare -- Pay for VMWare ($) & get
yourself a 1GHz+ PC with 256MB-512MB RAM
3) Run MS-Office on Free WINE
4) Close shop

I think given these choices most people would go with
option (3)

> The only *correct* solution is to petition device
> manufactures to open
> up their device specifications and/or publish free
> drivers for free
> operating systems.

Well this is nothing short of petitioning M$ to make
Windows Free. Unless the public *demands* Free drivers
& open specifications the situation is not going to
change. But right now people bother about these issues
as much as they are about their tooth brush brand.

Let me make it clear.I am not supporting proprietory
drivers.Incase there are Free drivers available they
*should* be used instead of non-free drivers (both
Windows & Linux). But what if there are none?

Don't get me wrong. I agree with your ideals (for all
I have said).The goal of Free Software Movement should
be to educate "public" on Free software & Free drivers
& make them *demand* open specs & Free drivers from
Hardware vendors. 

But until that happens we need a WDM emulator so that
people don't lose the choice of running Free OSes just
because someone didn't/or forgot to write a Free
device driver for their hardware

Regards,
Vivek





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