>>>>> "r" == Ross <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
r> I think the problem Miles is that this isn't Sun hardware
In this case it's not, but please do not muddle my point: Marvell SATA
and LSI Logic mpt SATARAID and many other (most?) drivers have the
same problem.
Right now there are, AIUI:
* closed-source non-redistributable drivers (SXCE only)
* closed-source redistributable drivers (SXCE, Indiana, Nexenta)
* open-source redistributable drivers (SXCE, Indiana, Nexenta)
The logical fourth category of open-source non-redistributable drivers
doesn't exist---you CAN have a non-redistributable, $0 driver which
includes source code, but it wouldn't meet the open source
specification.
The word ``third-party driver'' is thrown around a lot. I guess it
was a common word in the pre-Opensolaris days? The three categories
are orthogonal to bundling or support entitlements, and there are
plenty of Solaris/SXCE-bundled, support-entitled drivers in the first
category.
r> I completely understand that as a Sun employee, Neil really
r> can't be seen to distribute something that's untested and
r> unsupported, and quite possibly under NDA.
AIUI it's not personal, or be-seen-as. It's, do you have the right to
do it, or do you not.
For example, I do not have the right to give you an SXCE DVD. You
have to download it yourself. (hope you don't need an old version!)
I DO have the right to give you a Nexenta or OpenSolaris 2008.05 DVD.
This is redistribution. To pass redistribution rights on to me, Sun
left drivers out of the OpenSolaris/Indiana release and Nexenta out of
the Nexenta release.
And just as Micro Memory can take a formerly-$0 driver down from their
web page, Sun can take down the SXCE b12345 .iso, and if you don't
already have a copy hoarded you're not technically allowed to have
your friend copy his DVD and give it to you.
r> if I get hold of these drivers, I'm under no such obligation
The obligation would come when you get the drivers---you'll be given
drivers on the condition you agree to something. Since you don't have
them yet, you're in a bad position to promise this.
You could promise, ``I won't accept drivers from anyone who makes me
promise not to redistribute them or not to release the source code of
them,'' (or publish benchmarks without the manufacturers approval
COUGH COUGH) which is what I _wish_ Sun would do to the chip and card
vendors from which they get components in the hardware they sell, but
they don't.
You could also promise, ``If someone makes me agree not to
redistribute this, I'll agree and then break the agreement, because I
care more about preserving the community than I do about respecting
legal agreements.''
To me it seems like technical people take exclusively the former
approach, and casual non-technical users almost exclusively the
latter. I guess there are a lot of people in the world who can
repeatedly make the latter statement publicly without hurting their
careers, but maybe not many such people on this list.
anyway sorry it's OT. I'll drop it now. I should hunt for a
[EMAIL PROTECTED] list or something.
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