useful libraries (includes NIC drivers)

[joel at OARcorp.com (joel at OARcorp.com)]

On Tue, 10 Aug 1999, Quality Quorum wrote:

> > I found some libraries which look like they might be very useful.
> > 
> > Take a look at:
> > http://www.cs.utah.edu/projects/flux/oskit/
> > 
> > This is part of a research project at the University of Utah dealing with OS 
> > and language interactions.  To facilitate their research, they have bundled 
> > libraries of components which can be reused as support pieces for other 
> > operating systems.  These include device drivers, file systems, name space 
> > implementations, and X client libraries.
> > 
> > What caught my attention is that the libraries include the FreeBSD network 
> > stack, and the device drivers for SCSI, IDE, and network devices from Linux 
> > 2.0.29.
> 
> There is a problem here - Linux has license incompatible with intended
> use of RTEMS.

Exactly.  BSD code is cool for use within RTEMS since it does not require
anything of the end-user.  In this case, the end-user is the embedded
application developer who is likely opposed to releasing their application
under the GPL.

If the code is under the new LGPL which does not force applications linked
with the library to be GPL, then everything is cool.  THis is the way
libgcc, much of RTEMS, and GNAT's run-time are.

Anything in the Flux OS Kit based on BSD code is purely fine for every
RTEMS user.  Some users may be fine with using GPL'ed items within their
application but as a Project, we want to be able to say that RTEMS forces
no restrictions on the end user application.

This is not a holy war, the pure GPL is just not the best option for
libraries for most embedded developers.  It is fine for tools and may be
acceptable to certain end users.  

--joel
Joel Sherrill, Ph.D.             Director of Research & Development
joel at OARcorp.com                 On-Line Applications Research
Ask me about RTEMS: a free RTOS  Huntsville AL 35805
   Support Available             (256) 722-9985