Re: [9fans] Running Version 2 along with Version 3

[Mike Acar <mike@trolltech.com>]

"rob pike" <rob@plan9.bell-labs.com> wrote:
> 
> As I've said here several times before, the 2nd edition contains material
> that was released under the conditions of its license, which included a
> transfer of money.  The 3rd edition has a different, cost-free, open-source
> license.  Some things, such as the sources for SGI and SUN machines,
> were excluded from the 3rd edition because we didn't have permission
> to release it under its license terms.

Indeed, I found this information in the archives; maybe I should've mentioned
it so I didn't look like I hadn't done my homework ;)

> You need a 2nd edition license to get the SUN material, and once you've
> got it you can't expect any work based on it to be included in updates to the
> 3rd edition because we don't have the rights to release it that way.

Meaning that the most we could do with the 2nd edition code would be look it
over before reimplementing its functionality for the 3rd edition, and even that
I think I'd be somewhat hesitant to do; getting a SPARC booting but being
unable to release the code seems a bit of a waste.

> I'm not even sure how to get a 2nd edition license now.  There were a
> limited number of CDs printed and they're sold out and the publisher
> who was handling the payment doesn't offer it any more.

And this rather makes my concerns with intellectual property moot.

-- 
Brilliance and gorgeousness                        |   Mike Acar
And we tell ourselves we don't want the treasures  |   mike@trolltech.com
But we hate the glass anyway                       |