Author: JonLech

Linux and DRM

Linus has chimed in on DRM:

I want to make it clear that DRM is perfectly ok with Linux!

Not surprising considering what he is quoted as saying when InterVideo announced their fair use-hostile DVD player for GNU/Linux:

This is another exciting day for the Linux community. The OS continues to attract industry-leading software companies like InterVideo. Their digital video and audio products will greatly enhance the Linux multimedia experience.

I haven’t Hurd about anyone getting their GNU/Linux experience enhanced by LinDVD. The product is still only available to OEMs. IBM even bragged about rolling out “legal” DVD playback for GNU/Linux.

I’ll stick to fair use-enabling DVD players such as VLC and Ogle. They’re certainly legal in Europe. Denmark has already implemented the EUCD and the Danish Ministry of Culture has stated that circumvention for playback is legal. They have even commented on my acquittal, stating that they believe I would have been acquitted in Denmark under their implementation of the EUCD.

Centrino and Linux

I fired off the following question to Intel Tech Support:

Is Intel going to release an open source Linux driver for the Intel PRO/wireless 2100 LAN Mini-PCI Adapter, or provide technical specifications for the device to the Linux community?

This is the boilerplate response I received:

Thank you for contacting Intel(R) Technical Support.

Please note that Linux is supported only through ACPI enabled versions through processor.o library delivered by Intel to the major Linux distributions. A control applet is not provided.

Please check the following site for Operating system support requirements:

http://support.intel.com/support/notebook/centrino/os.htm

Please note that not all the Centrino(TM) components are compatible with Linux.

I sent an email to Intel spokesman Scott McLaughlin, but he was unable to comment further:

I assume you have read the c|net or IDG.net articles on Linux support for Centrino, which is why you have contacted me. The articles contain the extent of our comment at this time.

Al Gore and Apple

“Steve and his team have done an incredible job in making Apple once again the very best in the world,” said former Vice President Al Gore. “I have been particularly impressed with the new Mac OS X operating system and the company’s commitment to the open source movement.”

IP Justice launched

Taipei – IP Justice, a new international civil liberties organization focusing on global intellectual property issues, launched today from the APRICOT 2003 technology conference in Taiwan. The mission of the new advocacy group is to promote balanced intellectual property laws and protect freedom of expression in both traditional and digital media. A grassroots membership based organization with offices in San Francisco, IP Justice advocates for respecting the rights of both creators and consumers of intellectual property.

There’s an interview with Robin Gross, Executive Director of IP Justice, over at O’Reilly Network.

VLC fortunes

<Dnumgis> someone is not releasing a p_vout object correctly
<tooney> it’s not me
<tooney> i was not there this afternoon
* Meuuh looks in his pockets

<bozo> you really shouldn’t have touched a computer when you were a little boy
<stef> _it_ came to me

<vektor> so, i think it’s time for a mass exodus to libdvdcss.
<taaz> ack! hold on a minute
<vektor> what?
<vektor> did you feel a great disturbance in the force?

There’s more where that came from.

Portable Vorbis Player

It means Vorbis support for a portable player. It means Linux interoperability for a portable player that’s supported by the manufacturer, not an after-market hack supported by some guy in Johannesburg with a dialup connection and a copy of emacs. It means that you’ll be able to go out and buy a portable audio device that will play Vorbis and support Linux at your local CompUSA.

How cool is that?

Very cool. Now where’s that Vorbis-playing iPod?