[ILUG] Help with nVidia drivers install FC2

[Dermot McGahon]

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 18:13:54 +0100 (IST), Paul Jakma <paul at clubi.ie> wrote:

> On Wed, 25 Aug 2004, Bryan O'Donoghue wrote:

>> The Intel X-Scale for example, comes with chunks of code that get  
>> downloaded to the CPU and act as a 'network core'...
>
> Err, no. I think you're confusing the Xscale with the IXP2x00, which are  
> Xscales with added network bits, "microengines", which are fully  
> documented by Intel btw, TTBOMK.
>
>> applies, the current generation of X-Scales could have trojaned code  
>> for Echelon running inside of them... perhaps with clever set of  
>> algorithms, which sends out random noise... that is actually  
>> 'magically' tokenised data that has been graphed at the network driver  
>> level...

There are good specs for the IXP network chips. Furthermore, the s/w  
running
on this (microcode included) is all written in Shannon. I know many of the
developers personally and can guarantee you that there is no echelon code
included.

Now the nvidia binary driver could easily enough to using stenography to
encode messages on to your screen. They're not doing this of course, but
we have no way of knowing for sure. Maybe all al-qaeda terrorists buy
nvidia graphics cards and send each other messages encoded in screenshots!


[-]

>> Dermot, I'm no barrister, but doesn't the European copyright directive  
>> compare to the DMCA, which libdvdcss *is* as far as I can glean,  
>> basically illegal?
>
> I'm not dermot. And I dont see how libdvdcss is relevant to core  
> hardware support ;). But yes EUCD is a problem. However, existence of  
> EUCD doesnt make libdvdcss illegal. EU directives are not law, they are  
> directives to be implemented in legislation in member countries. That  
> legislation can potentially still contain fair use provisions. I've no  
> idea what state EUCD implemenation is in.

Unfortunately, I'm not a barrister either. We're short on barristers
focused on technology. However, the link you posted (the one marked
important) was written by an anti-legislation group. Their opinion is
basically worthless. They are entitled to their opinion .. but you
would be silly to assume that they are correct.

To the best of my knowledge, libdvdcss is legal to use. If you'll
accept a reference from debian-legal (these people might as well be
barristers), then I ask you to read this:

http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2004/04/msg00015.html


Dermot.
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