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To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: binary modules (was Re: ReiserFS / 2.4.6 / Data Corruption)
In-Reply-To: <no.id> <E15QZSA-00083U-00@the-village.bc.nu>
	<200107290705.f6T756j02316@mobilix.ras.ucalgary.ca>
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From: Florian Weimer <Florian.Weimer@RUS.Uni-Stuttgart.DE>
Date: 31 Jul 2001 17:18:11 +0200
In-Reply-To: <20010729220041.A3694@weta.f00f.org> (Chris Wedgwood's message of "Sun, 29 Jul 2001 22:00:41 +1200")
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Chris Wedgwood <cw@f00f.org> writes:

> People all need to appreciate sometimes vendors cannot released open
> source drivers even if they wanted too.  Sometimes vendors have the
> ability to released binary only drivers which are derived in part from
> source-code which they license --- but cannot share.

That's particularly true if there is no other documentation for the
hardware other than this reference source code.  This seems to be a
common situation, even with hardware which has good specs, technically
speaking.

-- 
Florian Weimer 	                  Florian.Weimer@RUS.Uni-Stuttgart.DE
University of Stuttgart           http://cert.uni-stuttgart.de/
RUS-CERT                          +49-711-685-5973/fax +49-711-685-5898
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