[linux-dvb] Re: AW: Re: DVB driver for B2C2 based budget cards (such as Technisat SkyStar 2)

[Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech@suse.cz>]

On Thu, Jan 30, 2003 at 11:24:02PM +0100, Torsten Schlabach wrote:
> Dear Miernik,
> 
> thank you for the link. I will have a look into it, but I need to say I
> am skeptic. The BIOS of such an old computer was 4 KB, maybe 16 KB if it
> really was one of the "newer" computers. The driver you sent has about
> 260 KB of object code. That will be a disassembler output comparable to
> the telephone directory of the city of Berlin.

Fortunately you've got all the symbol information in the module files -
the names of all functions, etc. Thus it should be rather easy to
understand which function does what.

> Anyway ... it's worth having a look. Nevertheless: If anyone has any
> developer documentation on programming the B2C2 chip: Please consider
> sharing it with me!
> 
> Torsten
> 
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Miernik [mailto:miernik@tarnica.ctnet.pl] Im Auftrag von Miernik
> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 30. Januar 2003 22:46
> An: linux-dvb@linuxtv.org
> Betreff: [linux-dvb] Re: DVB driver for B2C2 based budget cards (such as
> Technisat SkyStar 2)
> 
> On Thu, Jan 30, 2003 at 10:23:06PM +0100, Torsten Schlabach wrote:
> > >> In many coutries even disassembling the driver in order to write a 
> > completely new one is ont illegal EVEN IF the vendors licence 
> > prohibits disassembling.
> > 
> > Do you know what countries these are or do you have any pointers to
> some
> > literature on this topic? I think the other part of the story is if
> 
> I've read about this that this law was used to legally disassemble the 
> BIOS of one of the old computers (it was either Amiga, Amstrad or 
> Atari - they all begin with A, so I don't remeber which one).
> 
> This was they legally made a machine compatible with the original 
> computer (the A.... company didn't want to release any 
> specifications).
> 
> > Aside from legal issues, I am not sure if I think it will be realistic
> > to understand the chipset interface from looking at the uncommented
> > disassembled code. Anyone has any experience with this? I might be
> wrong
> > or over-estimate the complexity ?!?
> 
> Surely it is poossible, the question is - in what time :)
> I think it is worth it - it would be great to have two different 
> hardware platforms for GPL Linux based DVB systems. I hate it when 
> there is only one hardware platform which is possible to use - it's 
> great to have a choice. And the low price of these cards...
> 
> BTW: I just had a great idea for all GNU community to benefit from: 
> 
> There is a bi-directional mailing-list <-> nntp gateway at 
> http://gmane.org/ 
> They will offer feeds for anyone who wants in the near future.
> 
> It would be great to take such feed, and:
> Buy some bandwith on a satellite service, and transmitt all the groups 
> multicast, so everyone who has a DVB card and antenna can receive it 
> without any monthly cost in real time!
> 
> Don't you think this would be great?
> There are many users/developers who otherise have to pay money they 
> can't afford to be online. With such service it will be posibble to 
> receive all the groups without any uplink (however they will need 
> uplink to post - but that is small cost, because you read much more 
> than post).
> 
> I have looked at the statistics, and all the groups there take only 11 
> kbps in total, it will be probably a little larger when new groups are 
> added, so a 16 kbps will be enough. It should not cost more than 100 
> EUR monthly to multicast that. And one multicast would supply it all 
> for whole Europe. A second multicast on a different satellite would be 
> needed for America, and maybe a third one for Asia. We could look for 
> some sponsor, or even collect money from GNU users and developers, for 
> example 1 EUR monthly for each user. The fee would not be mandatory, 
> but I am sure that there would eaisly be 100 people who would pay 
> 1 EUR monthly for this service to run.
> 
> What do you think? Ability to receive all mailing lists in real-time 
> for 1 EUR monthly?
> 
> > I’ve heard that, but please, where is it?
> 
> http://www.esat.pl/files/dvb/technisat/b2c2_install_base.tgz
> 
> -- 
>     Miernik
> ____________________________________________________
> ___ ICQ: 4004001 ___/___ tel.: +48608233394 ___/
> mailto:miernik@ctnet.pl
> No Iraq war
> http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/iraq/invadeIraq082702.html
> Please call the White House +1-202-456-1111 or fax +1-202-456-2461 and
> say no!
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Info:
> To unsubscribe send a mail to listar@linuxtv.org with "unsubscribe linux-dvb" as subject.

-- 
Vojtech Pavlik
SuSE Labs


--
Info:
To unsubscribe send a mail to listar@linuxtv.org with "unsubscribe linux-dvb" as subject.