Re: Does anyone know how to configure a Brother MFC-J5720DW with cups?
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On Tue, Mar 08, 2016 at 12:26:37PM +0100, deloptes wrote:
> Jarle Aase wrote:
>
> > Do you know why these printers require binary drivers? I am asking both
> > technically and rationally.
>
> I think
> 1. probably license agreements between manufacturer and supplier (of
> microchips etc) that prevent revealing information about hardware parts
> 2. profit - cheep hardware sold for profit to much higher price - you do not
> want to reveal how you make this cheep hardware work. Most of the companies
> provide some part in closed fashion (firmware etc) and cover the heart of
> the technology they develop.
> 3. It is more confident the manufacturer provides the software than the
> community reverse engineer the same. We should appreciate companies that
> (still) support linux OS.
4. Better control (by the manufacturer) of "planned obsolescence". If the
community controls the driver, they can tweak it to cope with changing
protocols/requirements/whatever instead of having the user throw away
the gadget and buy a new one.
> BTW I'm using Epson scanner with it's iscan tool since wheezy. It works just
> great - no need to update since first installation.
>
> Of course if you require high level of security you can not trust such
> binaries, but if you are at this level of security I do not think you will
> be working at the computer that much or at least use such kind of hardware.
> In such case it is best to use analog equipment or PC in closed network.
> You still have choice(s).
No, Free Software is not *just* about of security. It offers more security
as one of its (many) collateral benefits.
Regards
- -- tomás
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