[PATCH] IPMI driver for Linux, version 7

[PATCH] IPMI driver for Linux, version 7

[Corey Minyard]

In the continuing saga of IPMI driver updates, here's another installment.

More cleanups and bug fixes, some from Arjan van de Ven, and others from 
myself. This fixes some problems with blocking operations while holding 
a lock. It has an unfortunate interface change (but better now than 
later), the lun field is removed from the IPMI message, and one is added 
to the system interface address. It's a minor change, but it really 
needed to be done to make things consistent. It's only released as a 
patch to the v6 version and it applies cleanly to all kernel versions. 
 As usual, you can download the driver from my home page at  
http://home.attbi.com/~minyard.

-Corey

PS - In case you don't know, IPMI is a standard for system management, 
it provides ways to detect the managed devices in the system and sensors 
attached to them.  You can get more information at 
http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/spec.htm

Re: [PATCH] IPMI driver for Linux, version 7

[Adrian Bunk]

On Tue, 15 Oct 2002, Corey Minyard wrote:

> In the continuing saga of IPMI driver updates, here's another installment.
>
> More cleanups and bug fixes, some from Arjan van de Ven, and others from
> myself. This fixes some problems with blocking operations while holding
> a lock. It has an unfortunate interface change (but better now than
> later), the lun field is removed from the IPMI message, and one is added
> to the system interface address. It's a minor change, but it really
> needed to be done to make things consistent. It's only released as a
> patch to the v6 version and it applies cleanly to all kernel versions.
>  As usual, you can download the driver from my home page at
> http://home.attbi.com/~minyard.
>
> -Corey
>
> PS - In case you don't know, IPMI is a standard for system management,
> it provides ways to detect the managed devices in the system and sensors
> attached to them.  You can get more information at
> http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/spec.htm

<--  snip  -->

...
Adopters Agreement:

Before implementing the IPMI, IPMB or ICMB specifications, a royalty-free
reciprocal patent license must be signed. Please follow the steps below to
sign the IPMI Adopters Agreement:
...
·  Adopter hereby grants to the Promoters and to Fellow Adopters, and the
   Promoters hereby grant to Adopter, a nonexclusive, royalty-free,
   nontransferable, nonsublicenseable, worldwide license under its
   Necessary Claims to make, have made, use, import, offer to sell and
   sell products which comply with the Specification; provided that such
   license shall not extend to features of a product which are not
   required to comply with the Specification or for which there exists a
   feasible, noninfringing alternative.
...

<--  snip  -->


Am I right that this makes it impossible to include an IPMI driver into
the kernel (this isn't GPL-compatible)?


cu
Adrian

-- 

"Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out
of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days.
"Only a promise," Lao Er said.
                                Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed

Re: [PATCH] IPMI driver for Linux, version 7

[Corey Minyard]

Adrian Bunk wrote:

>On Tue, 15 Oct 2002, Corey Minyard wrote:
>
>  
>
>>In the continuing saga of IPMI driver updates, here's another installment.
>>
>>More cleanups and bug fixes, some from Arjan van de Ven, and others from
>>myself. This fixes some problems with blocking operations while holding
>>a lock. It has an unfortunate interface change (but better now than
>>later), the lun field is removed from the IPMI message, and one is added
>>to the system interface address. It's a minor change, but it really
>>needed to be done to make things consistent. It's only released as a
>>patch to the v6 version and it applies cleanly to all kernel versions.
>> As usual, you can download the driver from my home page at
>>http://home.attbi.com/~minyard.
>>
>>-Corey
>>
>>PS - In case you don't know, IPMI is a standard for system management,
>>it provides ways to detect the managed devices in the system and sensors
>>attached to them.  You can get more information at
>>http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/spec.htm
>>    
>>
>
><--  snip  -->
>
>...
>Adopters Agreement:
>
>Before implementing the IPMI, IPMB or ICMB specifications, a royalty-free
>reciprocal patent license must be signed. Please follow the steps below to
>sign the IPMI Adopters Agreement:
>...
>·  Adopter hereby grants to the Promoters and to Fellow Adopters, and the
>   Promoters hereby grant to Adopter, a nonexclusive, royalty-free,
>   nontransferable, nonsublicenseable, worldwide license under its
>   Necessary Claims to make, have made, use, import, offer to sell and
>   sell products which comply with the Specification; provided that such
>   license shall not extend to features of a product which are not
>   required to comply with the Specification or for which there exists a
>   feasible, noninfringing alternative.
>...
>
><--  snip  -->
>
>
>Am I right that this makes it impossible to include an IPMI driver into
>the kernel (this isn't GPL-compatible)?
>
I do not read it so, but perhaps you are right.  I will ask.  I'm sure I 
will receive a resounding "maybe" as the answer.  I was working with 
people at Intel on this, and they had another driver they wanted to use 
for IPMI, and wanted to push it into the kernel, but it had some 
problems so I wrote this as a replacement.  So I don't think Intel sees 
it this way (at least those at Intel I was working with).

-Corey

Re: [PATCH] IPMI driver for Linux, version 7

[Alan Cox]

On Sun, 2002-10-20 at 22:05, Corey Minyard wrote:
> >Am I right that this makes it impossible to include an IPMI driver into
> >the kernel (this isn't GPL-compatible)?
> >
> I do not read it so, but perhaps you are right.  I will ask.  I'm sure I 
> will receive a resounding "maybe" as the answer.  I was working with 
> people at Intel on this, and they had another driver they wanted to use 
> for IPMI, and wanted to push it into the kernel, but it had some 
> problems so I wrote this as a replacement.  So I don't think Intel sees 
> it this way (at least those at Intel I was working with).
> 
> -Corey

Intel tend to see everything Intel's way. Perhaps someone from Intel
could clarify this situation - on list ?

I'd hate us to have to have an IPMI driver that US citizens couldnt use

Re: [PATCH] IPMI driver for Linux, version 7

[Peter Chubb]

>>>>> "Corey" == Corey Minyard <cminyard@mvista.com> writes:
Corey> Adrian Bunk wrote:

>> 
>> ...  Adopters Agreement:
>> 
>> Before implementing the IPMI, IPMB or ICMB specifications, a
>> royalty-free reciprocal patent license must be signed. Please
>> follow the steps below to sign the IPMI Adopters Agreement: ...  ·
>> Adopter hereby grants to the Promoters and to Fellow Adopters, and
>> the Promoters hereby grant to Adopter, a nonexclusive,
>> royalty-free, nontransferable, nonsublicenseable, worldwide license
>> under its Necessary Claims to make, have made, use, import, offer
>> to sell and sell products which comply with the Specification;
>> provided that such license shall not extend to features of a
>> product which are not required to comply with the Specification or
>> for which there exists a feasible, noninfringing alternative.  ...
>> 
>> <-- snip -->
>> 
>> 
>> Am I right that this makes it impossible to include an IPMI driver
>> into the kernel (this isn't GPL-compatible)?
>> 
Corey> I do not read it so, but perhaps you are right.  I will ask.
Corey> I'm sure I will receive a resounding "maybe" as the answer. 

I suspect the licence refers to the firmware bottom half, not the
driver to access it.

Peter C

RE: [PATCH] IPMI driver for Linux, version 7

[Perez-Gonzalez, Inaky]

> On Sun, 2002-10-20 at 22:05, Corey Minyard wrote:
> > >Am I right that this makes it impossible to include an 
> > > IPMI driver into the kernel (this isn't GPL-compatible)?
> > >
> > I do not read it so, but perhaps you are right.  I will 
> > ask.  I'm sure I 
> > will receive a resounding "maybe" as the answer.  I was 
> > working with 
> > people at Intel on this, and they had another driver they 
> > wanted to use 
> > for IPMI, and wanted to push it into the kernel, but it had some 
> > problems so I wrote this as a replacement.  So I don't 
> > think Intel sees 
> > it this way (at least those at Intel I was working with).
> 
> Intel tend to see everything Intel's way. Perhaps someone from Intel
> could clarify this situation - on list ?
> 
> I'd hate us to have to have an IPMI driver that US citizens 
> couldnt use

Corey's IPMI driver is GPL, as are all the other components
of the kernel. People who are worried about patents on IPMI
implementations can get a royalty-free license any time by
going to http://www.intel.com/design/servers/ipmi/spec.htm 
and signing the Adopter's agreement. Yes, to get the royalty-free 
patent license for implementations of the IPMI spec, you have 
to give a promise not to sue other Adopters of IPMI, but I don't 
see why anyone who isn't planning on going around suing people 
should have a problem signing this agreement. In any case this 
is very similar to USB, which also has an Adopter's agreement 
for patents, and USB has been in the kernel for years without 
causing any IP problems.

Inaky Perez-Gonzalez -- Not speaking for Intel - opinions are my own [or my
fault]