From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Matthew Wilcox Subject: Re: sym2 2.1.18k Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 01:34:25 +0100 Sender: linux-scsi-owner@vger.kernel.org Message-ID: <20040914003425.GW642@parcelfarce.linux.theplanet.co.uk> References: <20040913194803.GV642@parcelfarce.linux.theplanet.co.uk> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Return-path: Received: from parcelfarce.linux.theplanet.co.uk ([195.92.249.252]:23266 "EHLO www.linux.org.uk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S269087AbUINAea (ORCPT ); Mon, 13 Sep 2004 20:34:30 -0400 Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: List-Id: linux-scsi@vger.kernel.org To: Matthias Andree Cc: Matthew Wilcox , linux-scsi@vger.kernel.org On Mon, Sep 13, 2004 at 11:33:05PM +0200, Matthias Andree wrote: > Urgh. There was a time when the driver was shared among deveral OSs, > among them FreeBSD. The BSD world ain't gonna like this for practical > reasons, the consequence is that they'll either stop merging patches > from Linux or remove the sym driver from their GENERIC kernels if they > want your patches. They already aren't using it. I went and trawled their CVS trees for any bugfixes they might have done to the driver since Gerard went missing. FreeBSD is using 1.6.5 (ie the driver we removed shortly before 2.6). NextBSD and OpenBSD have their own driver (siop). Given that, I don't see the benefit to retaining BSD licence compatibility. In addition, retaining dual BSD licencing allows others to take this driver and use it in proprietary OSes. I don't like people being able to take without giving back. Now, if there's actual real interest from the BSD camps in using this driver, let's hear it, and I'll revert this change. But keeping the BSD licence on it at this point looks like no benefit and only liability. -- "Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception." -- Mark Twain