Linux Sourcecode To Minitar Access Point

mcbridematt writes "Minitar sells a rebadged Edimax Linux based-802.11b Access Point in Australia (no FCC ID yet) for a relatively cheap price (under AUS $100 in places). These access points are based around the Realtek 8181 wireless-system-on-chip design, have 8MB flash rom, and run a 2.4 series Linux kernel. After requests from the community to get the kernel sources, which resulted in a incomplete sourcecode release, we finally have (allegedly) complete and GPL compliant Linux kernel sources for this fine Access Point. Special thanks to chuna, serialmonkey and screwball at Minitar for making this happen, especially after they ran into arguments with their OEM and Realtek over this." From the attached forum discussion, you can see there's disagreement about whether the source code release is as complete as it should be.

Comments

Corporations and the GPL

[sinistral]

This is a prime example of how the GPL is going to continue to hurt Linux. Going after a company like this for violating Linux's overly-restrictive license is not going to promote widespread corporate adoption - rather, it will push them towards proprietary solutions.

The GPL serves a purpose (though I'm not sure what), but perhaps it's time to get off the "Free" soapbox and settle for plain old free. In the long run, it will help Linux gain widespread acceptance - and that's what Linux people want, right?

Re:they won't be getting my dollar

[ComaVN]

Please tell me when your GNU/Jihad gets to the point that anyone actually cares.

They gave you the source to their frikkin' product. What more do you want? The blueprints for the hardware?

The moral of this story?

[Anonymous Coward]

The moral of this story is, of course, that you should base your commercial embedded products on FreeBSD, OpenBSD or NetBSD.

Because the *BSDs are actually free, unlike the rather convoluted Linux definition of the term.

Re:Picking your battles

[black mariah]

I would like to personally invite you and everyone that agrees with your last statement to nuzzle my scrotum. I'm not a fucking consumer of other people's work, I'm a USER. Software is about USERS. What is the point of making software if there is nobody to use it? Other than mental masturbation and a virtual handjob from other geeks for a job well done, there aren't any. No, I'm not a developer. If I contributed to anything, I would break it. I can't code my way out of a FOR loop. Instead, I just use the software. When I run into problems I submit what bug reports I can and move on. Jackasses like you are a large part of the reason I haven't bothered getting any of my non-techie friends into Linux.