'Commercial Partners'

Andy Green andy at warmcat.com
Fri Mar 31 19:19:13 UTC 2006


Eric S. Raymond wrote:
> Andy Green <andy at warmcat.com>:
>> That is what I was referring to.  Eric Blossom from Gnu Radio told me 
>> this as a possible explanation for wlan driver secrecy as well.
> 
> Well, there's a larger issue with variable driver wattage there...

This is OT but I believe that is simply a figleaf.  The other figleaf is 
that the PLL registers would be exposed to allow it to function at 
disallowed frequencies.  If true and is truly a problem then this is a 
flaw in the hardware design, since any kernel code can poke these 
registers.  Simply design the hardware to have strapped pins to define 
the legal power and frequency range for the region and the problem is gone.

> Yeah, I know.  But in practice "Quicktime" support pretty much reduces 
> to "Sorensen video codec support".

Not so, eg,

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/h264/faq.html

Also the necessary audio codecs.

>> Each of these will have its own patent story and people looking to get 
>> their hands on RHAT's cash if RHAT give them the chance.
> 
> This is no different than any normal negotiating situtation.  Other OS
> vendors deal with it all the time.

"Other OS vendors" have a revenue stream to give a cut of in the form of 
a patent license royalty.  Not quite sure what you are expecting RHAT to 
do about that wrt Fedora.

>>> The goal of the game here isn't perfection, it's
>>> maximizing adoption rate.
>> I don't believe I saw that in the Fedora manifesto. 
> 
> No, you didn't.  That mean I'm somehow not allowed to argue that 
> the manifesto should change?

Misrepresenting the actual goals of the project with your personal 
preference as to what they should be is not arguing for change, it is 
trying to bamboozle people.

> I'm not doing this for my health, Andy.  Linux is in a fluid competitive
> situation with a lot of powerful enemies.  It's grow or die.  I'm trying
> to avoid "die".

I don't see a single reason to accept your dramatic characterizations as 
accurate.

Have a nice evening.

-Andy
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