rami rosen wrote:
Hello,
I last August there was a thread in this forum regarding that the linux kernel will not include anymore
pwc drivers (for Philips and many other USB webcams).
Yes, I've started this thread.
see for example : "August Bad news for philips webcam users" in http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-il@cs.huji.ac.il/msg35857.html
The reason for this discontinuation decision was that this driver included a binary-only module,the decompressor (called pwcx);
And due to this fact , Greg Kroah Hartman, the USB maintainer, decided to remove that hook from PWC.
As a result, the driver developer (Nemosoft Unv.) declared that he halts his support.
see:
http://www.smcc.demon.nl/webcam
I had git-pulled in the beginning of this week the latest kernel version (linux-2.6.12-rc3).
I had a surprise: I saw under /linux-2.6.12-rc3/drivers/usb/media (the folder where the webcam video drivers reside) a folder named pwc.
In some files in this pwc fodler there you will find the comment:
"The decompression routines have been implemented by reverse-engineering the
Nemosoft binary pwcx module. Caveat emptor."
Googling a bit found the next interesting item in kerneltrap :
( http://kerneltrap.org/node/5066 ) , where you can find the Nemosoft Unv. (the pwc driver)
declared "The return of PWC" in a mail to Greg Kroah.
I do not want to deal here (or start a discussoin) on the legality of this "reverse-engineering" or the technical aspects of how it was done; There can be really various opinions on this ; Just wanted to let you know.
Just thanks for a great news
Has someone tested it ?
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