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Re: Bug#239952: kernel-source-2.6.4: qla2xxx contains non-free firmware



On Thu, 25 Mar 2004, John Hasler wrote:
> Don Armstrong writes:
> > I'm not sure at all what the firmware being a RTOS has to do with it's
> > distributability.
> 
> The hardware vendor may have licensed the RTOS from a company which
> is in the RTOS business and is therefor very unlikely to free the
> source.

Yes, but that's a case where the firmware contains code that isn't
wholly owned by the manufacturer and not unique to RTOS based
firmware...

> This is likely to be a continuing problem: licensing "IP" under
> _extremely_ restrictive conditions is routine in the hardware
> business.

Yes... it seems to be one which we have to fight against quite often,
unfortunatly.


Don Armstrong

-- 
I never until now realized that the primary job of any emoticon is to
say "excuse me, that didn't make any sense." ;-P  -- Cory Doctorow

http://www.donarmstrong.com
http://www.anylevel.com
http://rzlab.ucr.edu

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