[9fans] Re: Licenses

[9fans] Re: Licenses

[Noah Evans]

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On the subject of licenses, where does idiom end and code copying begin? Looking through Plan 9 sources there are very distinct idioms that run through all the code(common arguments to ARGBEGIN and common function like emalloc spring to mind). To what extent can you use the conventions and helper functions of Plan 9 code(or GPL'ed code) without needing to consider licensing issues? 

Noah

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Hi,

I added support for LCD screens in the Radeon driver. It only works if the
BIOS has panel information defined. I didn't test it for resolutions
different than the default for the display. I am attaching the two files
that are changed. You need the rest from
http://mapage.noos.fr/phillipe.anel/plan9rxxx.html.

The driver does not support DFP panels, only LCD. I don't have DFP, so I
didn't bother to add support for something that I can't test.

BTW, is there any reason for this driver to not be included in the distribution?

Thanks,
	Lucho

Re: [9fans] Re: Licenses

[David Presotto]

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To a certain extent the SCO suit will provide hard guidance if it doesn't
just disappear in a puff of smoke.

We (and I believe Linus) has taken the view that .h's and by implication
interfaces are exportable without the license.  That way, you can build
a look/feel alike.

Also, I've seen details about hardware come from and go to other OSs
via code reading to the extent that the same misunderstandings about
how the hardware works is shared by us, BSD, and Linux.

As an instance of 'we would probably get mad' is if any major piece of
Plan 9 (devmnt.c comes to mind) should appear in another OS without
a compatible license.

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On the subject of licenses, where does idiom end and code copying begin? Looking through Plan 9 sources there are very distinct idioms that run through all the code(common arguments to ARGBEGIN and common function like emalloc spring to mind). To what extent can you use the conventions and helper functions of Plan 9 code(or GPL'ed code) without needing to consider licensing issues? 

Noah

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Hi,

I added support for LCD screens in the Radeon driver. It only works if the
BIOS has panel information defined. I didn't test it for resolutions
different than the default for the display. I am attaching the two files
that are changed. You need the rest from
http://mapage.noos.fr/phillipe.anel/plan9rxxx.html.

The driver does not support DFP panels, only LCD. I don't have DFP, so I
didn't bother to add support for something that I can't test.

BTW, is there any reason for this driver to not be included in the distribution?

Thanks,
	Lucho