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IBM Open Source Firmware Download for PowerPC

Posted by timothy on from the will-we-see-bargains-on-ppc-gear dept.

Nora writes "IBM developerWorks has posted an open source Slimline Open Firmware (SLOF) download intended to aid the development of operating systems and virtualization layers for PowerPC-based machines. One thing that's kind of neat about it is that it is under a pretty liberal "BSD-like" license -- something I have not often seen IBM do. If I am not much mistaken (and please correct me if I am), this license makes it compatible with both GPL'd and BSD'd projects, among others. And in the interest of full disclosure, I'd like to add that I *am* affiliated with the developerWorks site."

3 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Re:IBM & Public Licensing by Incadenza · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Am I missing some?

    Postfix

  2. Re:Very relevant.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I don't think that the two things (the Apple announcement and the Open Firmware download) are in any way related. To paraphrase an earlier post, I think the timing is too close for it to be anything *more* than coincidence.I could be totally wrong though =)

    But don't forget that one of the largest markets for PowerPC (if not "the" largest) is in embedded -- often deeply embedded. That's an environment where writing your own firmware and/or OS is more relevant -- and one of the reasons it seems particularly smart (to me) to have made the license so liberal.

  3. Re:Apple? by aristotle-dude · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So you long of the days when Apple was going into the toilet with Scully at the helm then?

    --
    Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.