Bart Smaalders writes:
Abide by the terms of the CDDL and all is well. Basically, all you
have to do is make your changes to CDDL'd files available. What you
do w/ the code you built (load it into MVS, ship a storage appliance,
build a ZFS for Linux) is up to you.
The problem is not with CDDL, GPL is the problem. ATI and nVidia do
provide binary modules with GPL "adapters", but I don't think legality
of this approach was proven in court. I see no parties interested in
proving that it is not legal (Intel perhaps?), but Sun is another story.
They are not interested in ZFS port for Linux, because Solaris and Linux
are real competitors, and if winds change may decide to take legal
action. Also, such port can never be included in mainline for obvious
reasons and I really want to see storage system such as ZFS as "default"
for Linux in future. To sum all of this I see a number of possible
solutions for this situation:
1. Sun dual licenses ZFS as GPLv2 and thus gives green light for
ZFS-Linux port. Personally I doubt that this will happen.
2. Linux changes it's license. The chance is near zero.
3. US and EU courts clearly state that it is legal to use non-GPL kernel
modules in Linux.
4. GPL ZFS reimplementation project is started. I prefer that way until
1), 2) or 3) happen.
I know Sun opened most if not all ZFS related patents for OpenSolaris
community. So I repeat questions I asked in my first mail:
1. Are those patents limited to CDDL/OpenSolaris code or can by used in
GPL/Linux too?
2. If GPL code can't use those patented algorithms, will you please
provide list of ZFS-related patents? RAID-Z and LZJB are most obvious
technologies which may be patent protected.
Sincerely yours, Max V. Yudin
_______________________________________________
zfs-discuss mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://mail.opensolaris.org/mailman/listinfo/zfs-discuss
