I propose a Universal Driver Format.

After reading about the Gallium3D Video card driver technology, I understood it to essentially have the bulk of it's code run directly on the hardware while maintaining os-independancy, while having modules for os-specific crap.
This gives one stuff to ponder.
What if it was possible to have all of the driver information either os-independent or part of the OS via standards? What if it was possible to create some sort of .udf file, or essentially a driver that could be used on all OS's without significant overhead?
When Windows 8 or 9 comes out you wouldn't have to worry about your video card or speakers not working, and Linux would be able to provide Microsoft with more incentive to produce a better OS. This would also mean that possibly the driver could be included directly on the hardware itself, so when installing to a drive that the installer doesn't have the driver for you don't have to dig out a floppy drive. of course it would be possible to flash in a newer driver when necessary.
Thoughts?

Nice idea, and a great dream. But, just don't see it happening. The video card companies just aren't going to allow this to happen, they would look at this as not being able to establish their own identities. :)

Isn't this what EFI is supposed to do??

Lee said:

Nice idea, and a great dream. But, just don't see it happening. The video card companies just aren't going to allow this to happen, they would look at this as not being able to establish their own identities. :)

Oh they can. the the driver will be hardware-specific not OS specific.
Oh I see. you mean that when the company adds new features not in the driver specification it would be tricky to make sure it is universal?
Problably it would have to be that they have to follow the DirectX or OpenGL standards to the T, or contain the entire OpenGL or DirectX rendering engine in the driver so as long as the OS can interface with the driver properly the driver will be able to do it's optimations properly.
Mostly i'm looking at this to be for all hardware and not just video cards. So say for example your netbook (like mine) uses a PCIe to SATA bridge for the hard drive, the installer will be able to access the driver located on the bridge itself without having to download anything or find another workaround to make it work.

Although I'll have to agree that the only way that this would become a reality os if the European Union court accepts another antitrust or whatever suit.