[linux-audio-dev] Re: Behringer

[Fons Adriaensen]

On Thu, Dec 02, 2004 at 05:56:03PM +0100, Esben Stien wrote:
> Alfons Adriaensen <fons.adriaensen at alcatel.be> writes:
> 
> > For the same reasons, there would be no need to upgrade your Linux
> > version, and you don't need driver updates. The current closed-source
> > driver will still work in 5 years.
> 
> Now, you're twisting everything to fit a twisted view. Software is
> changed much more often than hardware.

Yes. And you can't expect a manufacturer of a e.g. soundcard to update
all drivers each time you or any other customer decide to upgrade his
system. If *you* modify your system and thereby make an existing driver
useless, then it's up to *you* to find a solution, maybe by providing a
compatibility interface in your new system. You can't expect others to
pay for the consequences of your decisions. A manufacturer will adapt
to a new system if that is in his interest, otherwise not.

I work in space telecoms. Some of the systems we deliver we have to
keep operational (by contract) for sometimes up to 15 years. I can
assure you this is *extremely* expensive, and of course the customer
has to pay for it. In one case we had to put all sources, hardware
design files, all tools, the operating systems, licences and computers
required to run them in escrow at a third party, to be released to
the customer in case we would no longer support him. Any idea how
much he payed for that ?

-- 
FA