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Xref: sserve comp.os.linux.development:12781 comp.unix.bsd:14499 Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development,comp.unix.bsd Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.cs.su.oz.au!metro!munnari.oz.au!comp.vuw.ac.nz!waikato!ames!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!zip.eecs.umich.edu!umn.edu!newsdist.tc.umn.edu!uum1!newsserver!rhealey From: rhealey@sirius.aggregate.com (Rob Healey) Subject: Re: APC UPS owners or potential buyers, trying to show user base Sender: usenet@newsserver.aggregate.com (Usenet News Administrative Account) Message-ID: <CtwsDz.1ws@newsserver.aggregate.com> Date: Tue, 2 Aug 1994 13:05:58 GMT References: <316bjc$hlh@thor.tjhsst.edu> <Ctw4tr.Hxp@gcs.com> Nntp-Posting-Host: sirius.aggregate.com Organization: Aggregate Computing, Inc. Minneapolis,MN Lines: 33 In article <Ctw4tr.Hxp@gcs.com>, Mark Bolzern <mark@gcs.com> wrote: >In article <316bjc$hlh@thor.tjhsst.edu>, >Craig Metz <cmetz@thor.tjhsst.edu> wrote: >> I had a talk today with Debbie Gray (sp?) of American Power Conversion >>regarding trying to get information on how to communicate with their Smart >>UPS products' onboard controllers in order to write a Linux driver. APC is >>one of the *many* manufacturers that plays the old NDA game, i.e., ``we >>consider that to be proprietary information that we have to protect''. However, >>she seemed to at least not be a brick wall to the idea of trying to change >>this policy so that a freely redistributable in source form Linux driver could >>be done. She told me that she will be talking to her supervisor when he's >>back from Interop next week about this. > >Try Best.... They have a better product (Rare that someone named that would) >and don't mind talking.... I got a Best UPS not too long ago with a full >programming manual, and source code in C for several different Unix versions. > Anybody who talks to APC might want to mention that Best provides full open documentation to their command language and wiring. Then ask why should you buy APC when Best is open with their specs and APC isn't? If enough people do this then maybe APC will see the err in their ways. The reason I care is that if any one of the big 3 stays proprietary the others may be tempted to go the same route to earn extra $$$. With 2 or more being open spec'd they can't do that. I think our effort would be best served by making ALL the UPS manufacturers open up and then agree on a common protocol so we only have to write one driver! -Rob