From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Sat, 25 May 2002 17:33:32 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Sat, 25 May 2002 17:33:32 -0400 Received: from bitmover.com ([192.132.92.2]:51155 "EHLO bitmover.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Sat, 25 May 2002 17:33:31 -0400 Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 14:33:33 -0700 From: Larry McVoy To: "Albert D. Cahalan" Cc: Linus Torvalds , Wolfgang Denk , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: patent on O_ATOMICLOOKUP [Re: [PATCH] loopable tmpfs (2.4.17)] Message-ID: <20020525143333.A17889@work.bitmover.com> Mail-Followup-To: Larry McVoy , "Albert D. Cahalan" , Linus Torvalds , Wolfgang Denk , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: <200205252122.g4PLMh290935@saturn.cs.uml.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5.1i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Sat, May 25, 2002 at 05:22:43PM -0400, Albert D. Cahalan wrote: > To get a free patent license, EVERYTHING must be GPL. > Not just the real-time part! So that would be: > > 1. the RT microkernel (OK) > 2. the RT "app" (OK) > 3. Linux itself (OK) > 4. normal Linux apps (ouch!) Whether that is true or not I don't know. But I do know that if all the stuff was GPLed, then you are safe no matter what, right? In other words, there is a path you can take which makes it safe. And according to all the RTAI people, that path should be completely acceptable, they all are quick to tell you that everything they do (now) is GPLed and that's how they want it. If that's true, no worries. I suspect the reality is that some/most of the code is GPLed but there is some critical chunk that is not GPLed and you don't get source and that's the revenue stream. If I'm wrong, the RTAI folks have nothing to worry about. -- --- Larry McVoy lm at bitmover.com http://www.bitmover.com/lm