On Sun, Dec 12, 2004 at 03:17:31PM -0500, Nathanael Nerode wrote: > Warning: long. CC'ed to debian-legal in case anyone there knows anything more.
How about cc'ing the author of the driver? He might know the answer. > The source for the acenic driver is in fact in the source package for > the kernel. > > The firmware is absent from Debian for *very* good reasons: the version in > the Linux kernel is distributed without proper copyright notices or a license. > (SCO should really have bought up firmware copyrights if it wanted to sue > Linux > distributors.) I do so wish people wouldn't go off ranting about > "anti-firmware fanatics" before checking the facts. > > (If someone wants to try to change Debian policy so that Debian can distribute > copyright-encumbered works with no clear license, go ahead. However, > Debian's current policy is, I believe, to follow the law strictly in > copyright matters.) > > -- > As a point of interest, the source code for the ACENIC firmware is > actually available at http://alteon.shareable.org/, but it comes without > a proper license, so it's no good if you want to do things legally. > > The web page says: > "Look at the source files yourself to understand any licensing restrictions on > their use. Alteon's license may be summarised like this: you may share > and develop the firmware, but it is only for use with Alteon NIC > products." > > Unfortunately, looking at the source files, I find that they are "all rights > reserved" and I can find no license grant. The Alteon Open Firmware > Agreement doesn't appear to exist any more. So his summary of the license > appears to be wrong. > > Perhaps someone can track down the original license > listed on the now-defunct web page (supposedly http://alteonwebsystems.com/) > where Alteon allowed people to download the firmware? > (This is a sad lesson for the developers of the Arsenic enhanced firmware: > Never, ever, point to someone else's license on a web page; *always* put a > verbatim copy in your distribution.) > > > At least they have proper copyright notices; I suppose Alteon's successor > might be convinced to release it under a Free license, or at least a > license which grants permission to distribute. Alteon is now owned by Nortel, > but apparently sold the ACENIC business to 3Com. Did that include the > firmware? > Who knows? Unfortunately, 3Com seems to be pretty bad about responding to > licensing-related requests. If anyone knows someone on the "inside", it would > help. :-P > > (Parts are also copyright "Essential Communication Corp.", and I have no > idea what's become of them; I think they may be the "Essential > Communications Corp." which was bought by ODS Networks according to > http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/1998/05/04/daily7.html. Also, > Alteon presumably had a license from them, and it may allow Alteon to > sublicense arbitrarily; > http://www.socratek.com/Agreement-Preview.asp?num=37354 > may have something to do with this, or may not.) > > -- > More usefully, the alteon.shareable.org web page features the documentation > for the board, and although that's all under copyright too, it could certainly > be legally used as a reference for writing your own firmware. (And if you do, > you can release it under a Free license and everyone will be happy.) > > Jamie Lokier's tools on the same webpage, in contrast to the firmware itself, > are GPL, and could certainly be used to help develop new firmware. > > A related page is http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~tjd21/alteon/, with more > GPL tools which might be useful for anyone developing new firmware. > > In addition, if someone gets the original firmware licensed acceptably (or > writes new firmware to which the changes can be applied), there's some > serious improvements -- the "Arsenic" firmware -- released under a > 4-clause BSD license from http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/Research/SRG/netos/arsenic/. > > I think that sums it up. > > -- > This space intentionally left blank. > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -- "Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception." -- Mark Twain
