NVidia Still Hostile To Free Software

3. NVidia Still Hostile To Free Software
10 Aug - 18 Aug (37 posts) Archive Link: "NCQ support NVidia NForce4 (CK804)
SATAII"
Topics: Serial ATA
People: Michael Thonke, Jeff Garzik, Allen Martin, Lee Revell, Chris Wedgwood

Michael Thonke asked, "what the plans/timeplan to implement NCQ support for
NVidia NForce4(CK804) SATAII based chipsets? Fact is that is it possible to use
NCQ with NForce4 SATAII on Windows system, I wonder why it isn't support by
libata?" Jeff Garzik replied, "Ask NVIDIA. They are the only company that gives
me -zero- information on their SATA controllers. As such, there are -zero-
plans for NCQ on NVIDIA controllers at this time." Elsewhere, Allen Martin from
NVidia said, "Likely the only way nForce4 NCQ support could be added under
Linux would be with a closed source binary driver, and no one really wants
that, especially for storage / boot volume. We decided it wasn't worth the
headache of a binary driver for this one feature. Future nForce chipsets will
have a redesigned SATA controller where we can be more open about documenting
it." Some posts down the line, Lee Revell remarked, "Nvidia is not Linux
friendly. Their business is making hardware so people can play games on
Windows. Anything that their lawyers think might have a 0.0001% chance of
interfering with that business model in the slightest bit will not happen."
Elsewhere, Chris Wedgwood recommended, "keeping constant pressure of vendors
like nvidia about openness is probably the best we can do right now (obviously
this means avoiding buying their products as much as possible)."