Real Quietly Releases More Code as Open Source

AlexJeff writes "Yesterday Real open sourced the server source code of its Network Optimized FileSystem (Asynchronous FileSystem). Actually it "dual-licensed" it under its open source (RPSL) and commercial licenses. According to a posting on the Helix Community, the Asynchronous FileSystem provides asynchronous access to the OS file-system and is mainly used to help resolve timing issues with Network File System(NFS). This functionality provides improvement capacity in 'Helix DNA-powered servers, especially on frameworks that use Network File System.'"

Comments

Quiety

[NitsujTPU]

Real Quietly Releases More Code as Open Source

People sure do like noting how things are done "quietly" around here.

Since it's from Real, it probably is actually part of some horrific conspiracy, right?

Re:Quiety

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought they were quietly releasing Morse Code, which wouldn't make sense at all.

Re:Quiety

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, coming from a pasty-faced piece of overweight white trash that's pretty funny.

Not quiet any more

[iced_773]

I would hardly call it quiet, now that it's on Slashdot. We're the people who kill servers with sheer numbers in traffic. Now the whole geek world knows.

Is this a smart move?

[zappepcs]

Is this a smart move, considering that MS is having to rip out its player from the EU version of Windows?

Maybe I'm just talking out of my @ss, but now would be the time for compeititors to make their move to start taking market share from MS that belonged to Ms by default via the free player?

Just a thought. I wonder how many more companies will make a play for that market share?

Re:Is this a smart move?

[NitsujTPU]

I don't think that this has a whole lot to do with that.

Real making a play on that would be more like a super feature-rich player, with marketing directed straight in the faces of EU customers.

Re:Is this a smart move?

[Anonymous Coward]

A tweaked version of NFS has very litte relationship to what media player your Winbox ships with.

Helixcommunity

[tcopeland]

...is the largest public GForge server in the world.

There's a picture of their server rack as of a year or so ago right here.

Re:Helixcommunity

[ldspartan]

Anyone know what kind of 1U machines / enclosures those are? They look inexpensive and decent, which is awesome :).

--
lds

Real: the unsung hero of the open source world?

[CyricZ]

Real has proven time and time again that they're the unsung hero of the open source movement. While companies like Sun promise to open their software time and time again (thankfully they actually do), and then others like Borland release theirs but quickly make it proprietary again, Real has proven they are serious. They release a massive amount of code back to the community, but never earn the respect that other companies do. That's why I'd just like to give a big Thanks! to real, for all they have given to the open source community.

Re:Real: the unsung hero of the open source world?

[CmdrTaco Is Retarded]

Real's software is shit. Opening their sores is just a lame attempt of a dying company to try to mantain their already thin relevence.

Re:Real: the unsung hero of the open source world?

[CyricZ]

LOL, I think you made a typo. You probably meant to say "source", not "sores". Next time you should try to use the Slashdot spellchecker.

What is this?

[__aaclcg7560]

Neither the /. summary nor the article itself explains what this technology is and how or what to use it for. Beside being "Real" technology, why should I be interested in it?

Oh, yeah, it's real quiet here. I got a bad feeling about this.

Re:What is this?

[bill_mcgonigle]

Good question -the project page doesn't say either.

From the context clues, I'll take a guess - NFS performance is OK if you use the async mount option. But then you risk data loss. The Linux NFS devs tell you never to use async mode. So you use sync mode and then the performance sucks (3.5x slower in the tests I did a few years back).

So maybe this provides a safe async filesystem. That would be nice, especially if it's easier to setup than OpenAFS.

Still it would be helpful if they had a WTF page. Maybe they do and I didn't find i t.

Am I the only one...

[zmcgrew]

I know it's early here (~7:30AM) but am I the only one who read it as:
Real Quietly Releases Morse Code
And I'm thinking, how in the hell is Morse code quiet?!?!

Re:Am I the only one...

[Aaron Pannell]

Why, when you send it via an aldis lamp of course.

Heroes? Nah, that's going to far.

[ahfoo]

They're betting on open source like a whole lot of other companies which is great. But I would strongly argue that it is unjustified and even far-fetched to call Real Networks the heroes of the Open Source community. And it would be completely false to say that they're even friends with the free software movement.
Real is first and foremost about closed proprietary protocols which are a form of DRM. That has been the core of their business from the beginning and still is and there is no reason yet to expect that this will ever change while the company remains in business. That has not changed in any way with Helix.
What really pisses me off about Real is the relationship with NPR. NPR is self-described as "community supported radio" and I was so upset that NPR's directors developed a cozy relationship with Real and adamantly refused for years to use open computer formats or to allow their affiliated to do so. I was so pissed after writing to NPR many years ago on the matter of Ogg or at least MP3 streams and getting these blatantly lying letters about how these alternatives weren't practical for "technical reasons" that I completely stopped listening to NPR for many years. Now that I can get KCRW on Streamcast I'm once again a listener, but this is still a major sore spot for me.
Real Networks is not a hero of Open Source, Real Networks is all about the selling and marketing of intellectual property, even "community based programming", as for profit commodities. The Helix source code does not change that in any way. Have they made contributions to the Open Source code base, yes. Are they valuable members of the FOSS community? Not even close and almost certainly never will or even can be without opening their protocols. The day that happens will be the day they START to begin the journey to being Open Source heroes. So far, they're nothing special.

Re:Heroes? Nah, that's going to far.

[sploxx]

I have to support your argument, as real networks releases the player and all major functionality as FOSS (maybe to drag the 'free' programmers into doing free support and coding for it?) but still keeps the core, i.e. codecs closed.

A company with a strong pro-DRM mission gets the support of many FOSS people - simply by doing clever marketing. This is sad.

Re:Heroes? Nah, that's going to far.

[aminorex]

So, if someone has 100 dollars, and gives you 95,
you're pissed at him for keeping 5?

Re:Heroes? Nah, that's going to far.

[cratermoon]

More like, if somone gives me a brand new mansion, but keeps the key (and all the doors and windows are locked), well gee. Thanks for nothing.

Yawn

[metamatic]

Wake me when they start allowing people to convert RealAudio and RealVideo into other formats.

(Last time I checked, their license still prohibited that.)

What are you trying to say, and how?

[Potor]

You're not serious, are you?

First of all, the stripped down version is only in Europe, which is a saturated market anyway.

Second, most pc makers won't use the new version.

Third, XP is a very mature product, and MS is clearly looking beyond it.

Fourth, how could this code release impede their ability to increase market share? Could not it also help it? Please provide an argument.

cheers, potor