david parsons wrote:
> 
>    From your description, I don't know whether IGEL is infringing on the
>    GPL unless they're not distributing binaries.  It's M-Systems which
>    seems to be playing football with the kernel license (and why? If it's
>    important to preserve their precious bodily fluids, why not write a
>    little bootstrap loader and use initrds to load up a linux kernel that
>    can then insmod the binary module.)

M-Systems is off the wall. They will not release source to the drivers because
they "need to protect the patents surrounding their technology".

#1 Any so called patents surrounding a flash memory device like this are
dubious at best.

#2 All patents are public to begin with, and the whole point to a patent
is to afford them this protection.


I've been asked several....actually MANY MANY times to distribute
the Disk on Chip driver with Linux Router. Because of these radiculous
reasons for them not releasing source, I won't do it.

It may not be directly apparent to them, but LRP's lack of a DOC driver is
costing them quite a bit in business. (I'd like to think LRP is the most
prevelent starting point for using flash with Linux.)

-- 
http://www.linuxrouter.org/     Linux Router Project

"Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists
at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more 
people than marijuana ever could."    William F. Buckley, Jr

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