Lets get a site and forum up to act as the information and focal point. We can then start work on discussion, programming, lobbying etc

filoktetes if you want to handle the website please do. I do have plenty of website creation experience and some space on a server to use if needed. I've had good experiences of SVN and Trac for project management. Alternatively we could start a project on sourceforge.

If we can get everyone who is interested in this driver together in one place the job will be much easier.

GBeee, I'm not that experienced with website creation, although I can do it, and know little about project management, so if you'd like to, please set up the site and forum, at your own webspace or at sourceforge, whatever you think is best.
Meanwhile, I'll intall windows and start to understand how I can find the necessary codes. I'll also read the v4l api documentation and look at some drivers to get prepared.
You can reach me at filoktetes rebi no.

Guys,
First of all, nice to see your great will to DO something!
Well, I just installed Mandriva 2006 on an Asus PRO70 (which came with ugli winxp h.e.) and, after struggling with things like wireless lan etc, moved to see if there was a chance to get the webcam workin... Googlin and googlin, I finally came here.
I definitely do not understand Luca and his idea about not releasing source code... Odd for a Linux-voted guy...
Anyway, I'm a programmer, too. No experience with Linux driver, though. I'd like to help.
Let me know here: alessandro.guarneri@email.it

Cheers!

Alex

btw, i noticed in my windoze hardware manager there's a "M5603d" not "M5603c" mentioned under "details" folder -> service
Things get tricker? Mmh...

Ok I've got a basic wiki site and forum up at a temporary domain:
http://www.actiongames.co.uk/m560x/

The address will change once I've obtained a suitable domain name but the old address will continue to work.

If we move discussion there we can start to gather the necessary links and information.

I don't think that _everything_ _must_ be GPL, eventhought I use GPL sofware when I can choose one. But if I have a laptop with webcam and don't have driver for it, I wouldn't care too much if the driver would be binary only aslong as it's free of charge.

And as it's states in http://www.ali.com.tw/eng/support/datasheet_request.php "Datasheets are only available to ALi's development partners and customers who have signed non-disclosure agreements."

I'm not quite sure what all that includes, but I think open source driver is not fit into their image then. But could it be possible that Luca gets Datasheet, if his driver is not open source? Is so, then I think binary only driver is ok. Afterall maingoal here would be getting cam to work.

BTW Luca, are you working on 5602 driver aswell, so that Asus A6K's webcam will work too?


Anyway I wish all good for both projects (open source and binary only).

PS. Sorry for my bad English skills.

I'm offering $150 bounty to whoever writes a v4l driver and gets it incorporated in the kernel under a compatable GPL license.

More details at:
http://www.liddicott.com/~sam/?p=76

Any other users feel free to add your own pledges.
The bounty will be listed at Bounty County soon, and I'll add the reference on my blog when it does.

if i can get the driver for

AlI M5603C Camera.

olz