From ded094609637fd8609fc2d27685447b8645d73cd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Robert Hak Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 06:24:11 +0000 Subject: added questions posted on /. git-svn-id: svn://svn.rockbox.org/rockbox/trunk@945 a1c6a512-1295-4272-9138-f99709370657 --- www/docs/FAQ | 74 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------- 1 file changed, 64 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-) (limited to 'www') diff --git a/www/docs/FAQ b/www/docs/FAQ index aefc4af8ce..d050599292 100644 --- a/www/docs/FAQ +++ b/www/docs/FAQ @@ -124,19 +124,24 @@ A16. Firstly, we wouldn't start something like this if we didn't simply enjoy being on the list does not mean it isn't a neat idea. Bring it to the list. -Q17. I don't see you mentioning ogg files on your list of ideas. What about - supporting those? -A17. At the current time we belive this is not very likely (though - we are not completely closing out this possibility). The Micronas - chip (MAS3507) decoder in the archos does not natively support ogg - decoding and there is very little program space in the player to +Q17. I don't see you mentioning other file types on your list of ideas. What + about supporting those? +A17. Pessimist's Answer: At the current time we belive this is not very likely + The Micronas chip (MAS3507) decoder in the archos does not natively + support decoding and there is very little program space in the player to implement it ourselves. The alternative would be to write a software decoder as part of the RockBox firmware. However, as much as we love our players, the computing power of the Archos (SH1 microcontroller) is - not fully sufficent for this need (Once again, this is not a definative - no. The world is full of brilliant people. We just aren't hunting - down all the ones not already involved with the project right this - instant). + not fully sufficent for this need. + + Optimist's Answer: We can play any format if only we can write code for + the DSP to decode it. The MAS 3507 (and 3587) are generic DSPs that + simply have MP3 codecs in ROM. We can download new codecs in them and + we will be the first to celebrate if we can get OGG or FLAC or anything + into these DSPs. Unfortunately, we have no docs or tools for writing new + MAS DSP code and Intermetall is very secretive about it. If anyone can + help, please get in touch! + Q18. What about supporting playing of wav files? A18. No Bill. We have no intention of that. Go buy your own project. @@ -200,3 +205,52 @@ A26: If you ask that again, I'm sending your address and phone number to the Q27: Umm, was that sarcasm? A27: That's it, I'm mailing him now. + +Q28: Is that legal? I mean, I'd just hate to see something like that + challenged under the DMCA in all its ridiculousness. Any thoughts or + ideas? +A28: We believe we are in the green on this. We are not violating anyone's + copyright and we are not circumventing any copy protection scheme. + This has been a big point for the project since its inception. Some + people wanted us to distribute patched versions of the original firmware, + but seeing as that _would_ have violated Archos' copyright, we didn't + follow that course of action. + +Q29: On the website [and various information postings] you state + "Every tiny bit was reverse engineered, disassembled and then + re-written from scratch". + If it was rewritten from scratch then why was it first reverse-engineered + and disassembled? Instead this sounds more like someone disassembled it + then used the understanding that they gained to create a new version, + which is not quite the same as "from scratch". +A29: Don't confuse the terms. + + Reverse engineering means examining a product to find out how it works. + Disassembling the firmware is merely one tool used in that examination. + Oscilloscopes and logic analyzers are other tools we have used. + + We have written every single byte of the Rockbox firmware. But we could + not have written the software without first researching how the hardware + was put together, i.e. reverse engineer it. + + All of this is completely legal. If you define "from scratch" as writing + software without first researching the surrounding interfaces, then no + software has ever been written from scratch. + +Q30: Wait a minute here. You have release version 1.0, but not a single one + of the ideas you have spoken about is actually implimented! Calling this + version 1.0 is really misleading. Whats the story?! +A30: It is true that Rockbox 1.0 lacks most of the feature set that every + sane user wants. However, we never said it was more feature-complete or + better in any way then the original firmware at this early point. + This first release was done as a proof of concept that our ideas are + moving in the right direction. We also hope that it helps bring the + project some attention, and some additional developers. Adding the + missing features is just a matter of time (and that time goes + faster if you, yes you, help too). + + + + + + -- cgit v1.2.3