thelinuxlink.net

Jon "maddog" Hall has made a featured guest appearance on a podcast series devoted to embedded Linux development. The veteran Linux promoter discusses binary kernel drivers, mixing proprietary and GPL software, and his "secret" retirement plan in the latest episode of TimeSys's Linux Radio podcast.

The interview took place at the Ontario Linux Fest, where a brazen BSD girl reportedly pelted maddog and podcast co-host Maciej Halasz with stuffed Tux dolls. Largely unfazed, the pair persisted in making scintillating conversation amidst the flying penguins, on topics such as:

Embedding Linux together with layered applications amounts to a "loose consolidation" that does not obligate vendors to share proprietary applications. Maddog recalls, "When the Cobalt Cube first came out a few years ago, it had Linux and an Oracle database engine, and people asked, 'Is Oracle going to have to distribute the source code?' That'd be over Larry Ellison's cold, dead body."

Kernel developers have traditionally discouraged binary drivers, because there's no way to update the driver as the kernel interfaces change.

greggh wrote:No not this LinuxLink, the other one. I just came across it linked on Tuxmachines and thought I'd mention it here in case anyone is interested. Just about to listen to it now. Sounds like it will be interesting...

http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/21384

Jon "maddog" Hall has made a featured guest appearance on a podcast series devoted to embedded Linux development. The veteran Linux promoter discusses binary kernel drivers, mixing proprietary and GPL software, and his "secret" retirement plan in the latest episode of TimeSys's Linux Radio podcast.

The interview took place at the Ontario Linux Fest, where a brazen BSD girl reportedly pelted maddog and podcast co-host Maciej Halasz with stuffed Tux dolls. Largely unfazed, the pair persisted in making scintillating conversation amidst the flying penguins, on topics such as:

Embedding Linux together with layered applications amounts to a "loose consolidation" that does not obligate vendors to share proprietary applications. Maddog recalls, "When the Cobalt Cube first came out a few years ago, it had Linux and an Oracle database engine, and people asked, 'Is Oracle going to have to distribute the source code?' That'd be over Larry Ellison's cold, dead body."

Kernel developers have traditionally discouraged binary drivers, because there's no way to update the driver as the kernel interfaces change.