Google are using linux kernel - what do you know about the source?

Google are using linux kernel - what do you know about the source?

[Gergo Szakal]

Greetings to all list-members!

Recently I have read that Google are selling enterprise hardware that
is running a modified version of the Linuk kernel [1]. I decided to ask
them whether the source is available. I did this via the question form
they offered.

Their officer told me that the source is not available to the public. I
then asked whether the source was available to customers only, and the
same officer responded that the source code for the search engine is not
publicly available.

Since this indicates that my mail must have been unclear, I mailed them
again:

> Thanks for the informantion, however I was interested in the modified
> Linux kernel's code, since I understand that your search technology is
> way too much work.

So far, I have not received any response (as soon as I do, I am going
to post it here).

I am posting this mail because I am sure certain members on this list
are much more aware of this and can provide me more information on
the subject.

I would not like to start any flamewars. I would be very
happy to see that Google are actually co-developers of the Linux
kernel, since such a backend is always good. I was just mailing them to
make things clearer and since this was unsuccessful, I posted here.

So my exact question: What do you know about this? Can you provide
me more information?

Thanks in advance for your replies! Please CC me because I am not
subscribed to the list.

[1] http://tinyurl.com/yv88oq

-- 
Gergo Szakal

Re: Google are using linux kernel - what do you know about the source?

[Diego Calleja]

El Wed, 23 May 2007 16:23:44 +0200, Gergo Szakal <bastyaelvtars@gmail.com> escribió:

> Greetings to all list-members!
> 
> Recently I have read that Google are selling enterprise hardware that
> is running a modified version of the Linuk kernel [1]. I decided to ask
> them whether the source is available. I did this via the question form
> they offered.


http://code.google.com/mirror/gsa.html

Re: Google are using linux kernel - what do you know about the source?

[Matti Aarnio]

On Wed, May 23, 2007 at 04:50:35PM +0200, Diego Calleja wrote:
> El Wed, 23 May 2007 16:23:44 +0200, Gergo Szakal <bastyaelvtars@gmail.com> escribió:
> 
> > Greetings to all list-members!
> > 
> > Recently I have read that Google are selling enterprise hardware that
> > is running a modified version of the Linuk kernel [1]. I decided to ask
> > them whether the source is available. I did this via the question form
> > they offered.
> 
> http://code.google.com/mirror/gsa.html

Gerco,

Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/

There you will notice that use of Linux KERNEL does not mean that
your must publish sources for your proprietary application, or to
make it easy for somebody to make a distribution competeting with
yours.  People like Oracle have realized this a long ago, and are
selling their commercial products also for Linux platform.

Google has made available all parts of the system that they are
obliged under GPL to make available.  

Perhaps person supplying the reply from Google didn't quite understand
what the product is, and that it has lots of components where you
can get sources for, although nothing exiting and special happens
in them.  A better reply from Google would have been:

    "The GSA is made of a branded PC hardware, Linux operating
     system (sources of components available) plus proprietary
     Google search engine suite."

/Matti Aarnio

Re: Google are using linux kernel - what do you know about the source?

[Jan Engelhardt]

On May 23 2007 20:00, Gergo Szakal wrote:
>
>> Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/
>> 
>> There you will notice that use of Linux KERNEL does not mean that
>> your must publish sources for your proprietary application, or to
>> make it easy for somebody to make a distribution competeting with
>> yours.
>
>Did I seem to be unaware of this? :-)
>
>In any case, here is the answer:
>
>http://code.google.com/mirror/gsa.html

kernel-2.2.14 wtf :p


	Jan
-- 

Re: Google are using linux kernel - what do you know about the source?

[Gergo Szakal]

On Wed, 23 May 2007 19:52:20 +0300
Matti Aarnio <matti.aarnio@zmailer.org> wrote:


> Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/
> 
> There you will notice that use of Linux KERNEL does not mean that
> your must publish sources for your proprietary application, or to
> make it easy for somebody to make a distribution competeting with
> yours.

Did I seem to be unaware of this? :-)

In any case, here is the answer:

http://code.google.com/mirror/gsa.html

-- 
Gergo Szakal

Re: Google are using linux kernel - what do you know about the source?

[Jan Engelhardt]

On May 23 2007 19:57, Jan Engelhardt wrote:
>>
>>> Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/
>>> 
>>> There you will notice that use of Linux KERNEL does not mean that
>>> your must publish sources for your proprietary application, or to
>>> make it easy for somebody to make a distribution competeting with
>>> yours.
>>
>>Did I seem to be unaware of this? :-)
>>
>>In any case, here is the answer:
>>
>>http://code.google.com/mirror/gsa.html
>
>kernel-2.2.14 wtf

Yes thanks for all the private mails "scroll down" - I think
I've got enough now :p



	Jan
--