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Writing a basic Linux device driver when you know nothing about Linux drivers

(crescentro.se)
367 points sbt567 | 1 comments | 22 Jun 25 10:29 UTC | HN request time: 0.218s | source
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ahartmetz ◴[25 Jun 25 20:09 UTC] No.44381377[source]▶
> I also thought I’d message the vendor and ask them if they could share any specifications or docs regarding their protocol. To my surprise, Nanoleaf tech support responded to me within 4 hours, with a full description of the protocol that’s used both by the Desk Dock as well as their RGB strips.

How cool is that? Too many vendors still think that they have valuable intellectual property in such relative trivialities. And that handing out the specs freely helps their competitors more than themselves.

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1. sysmax ◴[26 Jun 25 02:57 UTC] No.44383834[source]▶
It's not the IP, it's sadly how people react. Some folks will be appreciative of help, credit to them. Others will immediately get back how they tried it, it didn't work and now they need you to rewrite everything, or do their project for them, or redesign your product to match what they want it to be. And if you politely refuse, it quickly escalates to threats of trashing your business through every channel, and other things.

So, the safest thing to do is not give details at all, or "leak" them like another reply in this thread mentions.