Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S932789AbXBOOPX (ORCPT ); Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:15:23 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S932799AbXBOOPX (ORCPT ); Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:15:23 -0500 Received: from ra.tuxdriver.com ([70.61.120.52]:4818 "EHLO ra.tuxdriver.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S932789AbXBOOPW (ORCPT ); Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:15:22 -0500 Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:14:48 -0500 From: Neil Horman To: v j Cc: Dave Jones , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: GPL vs non-GPL device drivers Message-ID: <20070215141448.GB10713@hmsreliant.homelinux.net> References: <9b3a62ab0702142115m4ea7d2c0m6869eb64ef3ee14e@mail.gmail.com> <9b3a62ab0702142116n4069e16cl1bc8f546f41d935@mail.gmail.com> <20070215061149.GE15654@redhat.com> <9b3a62ab0702142227j19386132s870a0e745cfbb8d1@mail.gmail.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <9b3a62ab0702142227j19386132s870a0e745cfbb8d1@mail.gmail.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.12-2006-07-14 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2490 Lines: 47 On Wed, Feb 14, 2007 at 10:27:10PM -0800, v j wrote: > On 2/14/07, Dave Jones wrote: > >On Wed, Feb 14, 2007 at 09:16:28PM -0800, v j wrote: > > > >Welcome to three months ago. > >Here in the future, this was deemed a non-issue. > >However this does highlight another problem. > >End-users who take linux for use in embedded systems (especially) > >tend to live in their own little world rarely contributing anything > >back to upstream, popping up occasionally when months after decisions > >have been made on things. Remind me again why we should care about > >your out of tree binary only modules ? > > You are right. I have not contributed anything to Linux. Except one > small patch to the MTD code. However, I don't think that is the point > here. I am perfectly willing to live with the way Linux is today. I am > telling you as a user that if Linux continues on the current path it > will become less and less attractive to Embedded Users. > No, it will become less attractive to those who are so paranoid about thier own percieved inteleectual property that they can't see the value add of sharing their source code with the community. Take a look at digium (to name just one company off the top of my head). how much has sharing their source code drivers for their FSX/FSO cards helped them out? The embedded people who get the model understand what contributing buys them. Those who don't get it, aren't of a concern to the community, and they'll be stuck paying royalties to Wind River / OSE / etc. . Take your pick. > Not everybody has to be a contributor. The reason Linux is popular is > because of its openness. Take that away and see where it goes. You're right. Not everyone has to be a contributor, people can be users and not contribute anything. About the only thing you cannot do is develop for linux without contributing source, and whine about it when the development model doesn't go your way. What exactly did you expect here? Neil > - > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org > More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html > Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/ - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/