[ale] no 802.11g for Linux?

[mhirsch at nubridges.com (Michael D. Hirsch)]

On Thursday 22 May 2003 06:48 pm, Jim Philips wrote:
> This discussion:
>
> http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0304.3/1120.html
>
> claims that there won't be any open source drivers for 802.11g wireless
> cards, because they can operate at any frequency and the feds don't want
> people using them to hack into frequencies reserved for them. Does
> anybody know more about this? Is this the straight dope? Or is this
> person full of it?

I hate to contradict the people who say he is wrong, but some pretty top 
kernel developers seem to believe it, too.  This is covered in the latest 
kerneltraffic under the heading "Some WLAN Chip Specs Secret To Protect 
Military Communications" 
http://www.kerneltraffic.org/kernel-traffic/kt20030520_216.html#2

Here is a representative excerpt:
    David S. Miller also said:

    Don't expect specs or opensource drivers for any of these pieces of 
    hardware until these vendors figure out a way to hide the frequency
    programming interface.

    Ie. these cards can be programmed to transmit at any frequency, and
    various government agencies don't like it when f.e. users can transmit
    on military frequencies and stuff like that.

If David Miller says it, I'm inclined to believe it.  Later in that thread 
Alan Cox chimed in and did not say anything to contradict it, either.

Michael
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