Re: Newbie compat_linux question

[Daniel Staal <DStaal@usa.net>]

--On Wednesday, June 12, 2002 7:04 +0100 Peter Fairbrother 
<zenadsl6186@zen.co.uk> wrote:

>> also, many of the binary drivers for linux aren't freely distributable to
>> my knowledge, so you can't do that anyway.  just something to think
>> about. besides, in a trusted OS like you're planning, relying on other
>> vendors' unaudited code is a bad idea.
>
> I haven't come across any redistribution problems yet, and I'd probably
> ignore them anyway - this is the UK, the relevant laws are different, eg
> for compatibility purposes like writing a driver you can decompile driver
> code and no-one and no clause in a contract can stop you from doing so.
> You can use the ideas behind it to write your own driver, no software
> patents, "fair use" under UK copyright law. I don't think you could
> charge for it, but m-o-o-t will be free, "gratuit" as well as as "libre"
> as I can get it.

That being the case, you could (if you wanted to spend the time) write 
OpenBSD drivers for these winmodems.  You would get the advantage of 
knowing the code and stay in your prefered OS.  I may make more sense 
time-wise to port what you've done to linux, but if you *really* want to 
trust what you are doing then it's most likely the best way.  You would 
also get a lot of goodwill from the BSD comunnity I'll bet...

Daniel T. Staal

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