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Story: Linux gets 802.11g Intel Centrino driver

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As device driver developer, I'm at moment working with Intel's e1000 chip/driver (Gigabit Ethernet).

I have on my desk big yellow book every page of which is stamped with big red (very annoying) signature "intel secret - confidential information" and that sort of things.

I'm more than eager to hear what kind of intellectual property/proprietary information Intel have inside of this chip/manual.

I have spent about 2 weeks with that manual - and I can see that only thing Intel has to hide is bugs. And that's not something new nor proprietary :-) Oh well - and omissions from documentation. But every H/W spec have seen in last five years has omissions - again property Intel cannot claim being proprietary.

I've been making plently of network device drivers for Linux last two years: if you have programmed one - you can easily program another one. It really doesn't matter is it Ethernet, FE, GE, ATM or HDLC. All pieces of hardware I have programmed have basicly same structure - some pretty simple (like Intel's e1000) some more complicated (like PMC's HDLC framer).

I'm ready to send bottle of (good German) beer to anyone from Intel who can show me a thing in their e1000 (8254x family) design , which is not present in other network equipment.

What is really secret/proprietary there?

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