[3300] in linux-net channel archive
Re: Binary Driver Issues
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dennis)
Tue Jun 18 16:55:01 1996
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1996 11:05:33 -0400
To: Mike Kilburn <mike@lserv.conexio.co.za>
From: dennis@etinc.com (Dennis)
Cc: linux-net@vger.rutgers.edu
From the depths of Africa we hear....
>Binary only drivers need to somehow be classified into those which are
>true hardware drivers and those which are "value-added" software extentions
>to the Linux kernel which in my view violate the GPL. I know this is tough
>and can be subjective and I really dont know how it could be done. Take
>the following example:
>
> If a company were to add say frame-relay with bandwith management to the
> kernel networking code and then sell these Linux based routers without
> releasing the source this would be a violation of the GPL. So instead
> the company includes this with the hardware driver module and since
> binary only modules are OK, they get away with it.
>
>I strongly belive companies which use Linux for a profit should give
>something back, this is one of the reasons for the GPL - prevent free software
>rape. In the example above the company has been able to use the kernel to
>save lots of money on RAM and ROM. This is not so bad but when they sell
>it as a router product in competetion with, say, Cisco they have also gained
>all the routing code without spending a dime on development. They have
>effectively 'stole' the software. This company would probaly turn around and
>say they dont release there source so people wont steal it - how ironic.
>The GPL should prevent this but the binary only driver hook in the kernel is a
>loophole for companies like this. Now this is different than a binary only
>driver which only contains code to control the hardware is supposes to - no
>value-added features to the kernel.
What an idiot. How can you "steal" free software? So now your saying that
anyone that benefits financially from free software is stealing it? Thats the
whole stupid point of it. Every one of you is "stealing" from Microsoft and
IBM by your definition, as you're using an operating system that you "didnt
spend a dime on" developing. Anyone who sells systems with linux installed
is in violation, because they're using the "free" software as bait to make money
on systems hardware.
So you're saying that we should stop development of our ethernet bandwidth
limiter (now available for FreeBSD and BSD/OS) that all of the linux ISPs have
been asking for? Our current bandwidth limiter only acts on our hardware....
so it arguably fits your tiny mind's definitions.....but the ethernet
thing...well, do we
have to manufacture a card now?
HAHAHAHAHA, LOL..(Dennis is rolling on the floor laughing).
I thought the idea of "Free" software was to make things "open" and to increase
"freedom". What a joke. Now you're debating rules to make everyone conform
to your closed-minded beliefs, and to reduce the usefulness of the resulting
product
by shutting out commercial vendors and sending all of the good commercial
products
to other platforms without such restrictions. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me!
There is no enforceable license that can deny wholly-owned add-ons to any
product,
freeware or otherwise. Licenses that prohibit the "interaction" with other
copyrighted
or licensed products are not enforceable. The big joke is that in order to
enforce anything
you must prove damages, and how can you prove damages regarding something that
is inherently free!? Selling a product with Linux as a part of it does not
damage the
spirit of the software, nor does it in any way damage any other user of the
software, nor
does it take away any of their rights to use the software.
Of course, our routers are based on FreeBSD, which we "didnt spend a dime
on" and we
dont have these problems. Luckily for us its a lot faster too :-)
Dennis
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emerging Technologies, Inc. http://www.etinc.com
Synchronous Communications Cards and Routers For
Discriminating Tastes. 56k to T1 and beyond. Frame
Relay, PPP, HDLC, and X.25 for BSD/OS, FreeBSD
and LINUX
