OSDL Denies Rewriting Kernel

yootje writes "Although there were rumours saying that OSDL writes a version of the Linux kernel that doesn't infringe patents (an argument that was used by Microsoft), OSDL denies this: 'OSDL officials have said that the report was not accurate, and that while Beaverton is putting $1.2m into economic development around open source software, this is not connected to rewriting the Linux kernel.'"

Comments

Re:Monkey on your back.

[GrAfFiT]

It can be explained by SCO&co. as an implicit recognition of IP infringments.

Re:That's a shame

[stratjakt]

There are large sections of code that havent been touched since 1.x releases. Linux frankly runs for shit on anything other than x86, despite all the claims of all the different systems it runs on. Too much PC specific cruft.

"Rewrite", to a programmer, doesn't mean to throw everything out and start from scratch, either. It means rethink some the design. Reevaluate why feature X was done the way it was, and if that's stillt he best way to do it. Make sure it's still relevant for modern hardware, and make sure it will still be relevant for tomorrows hardware.

MSFT is doing this with Longhorn. The hardware evolves, why shouldn't the software that runs on it?

Re:That's a shame

[Narishma]

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog00000000 69.html

I think this is the article you're referring to.