I can produce more detail later, but first, some characteristics and advantages of what I'm proposing:
- x86 BIOS/OpenBoot/OpenFirmware code under BSD and GPL license
- kernel drivers under BSD and GPL license
- X11 module under MIT license
- flashable PROM so that boot code can be added for more platforms
- usable as the console on any platform that can take a PCI, AGP, or PCI-Express card
- downloadable schematic for the circuit board
- FPGA-based graphics engine so it's reprogrammable
- instructions on how to reprogram the FPGA, so it's hackable
- if we discontinue a product, we may release the Verilog code for the FPGA
- Since this is designed to be open-source-friendly, we want to play by the rules of the open-source community.
- Tech Source would actively participate in the development and maintenance of our own drivers.
- We will actually pay attention to problems and concerns raised by users and developers.
- We won't be control-freaks.
I haven't worked out a complete design spec for this product. The reason is that what we think people want and what people REALLY want may not be congruent. If you have a good idea for a piece of graphics hardware which you think would be beneficial to the free software community (and worth it for a company to produce), then Tech Source, as a graphics company, might be willing to sell it.