Slashdot Mirror
Linux Kernel To Have Stable Userspace Drive
liquidat writes "Linus Torvalds has included patches into the mainline tree which implement a stable userspace driver API into the Linux kernel. The stable driver API was already announced a year ago by Greg Kroah-Hartman. The last patch to Linus' tree included the new API elements. The idea is to make life easier for driver developers: 'This interface allows the ability to write the majority of a driver in userspace with only a very small shell of a driver in the kernel itself. It uses a char device and sysfs to interact with a userspace process to process interrupts and control memory accesses.'"
They are afraid that by providing documentation on interfaces, it may tip-off a patent holder to start looking for infringement where they might not otherwise have done so.
After all, when the prevailing legal advice is to actively not look for pre-existing patents, it is inevitable that companies will independently create infringing hardware. It's like we get the worst of both worlds - patents might as well be trade-secrets since reading them is a legal mine-field if you are working in the same area, but we also get government enforced monopolies that stifle competition.
At least the lawyers get paid for their contributions,
and that's all that should really matter in the end. Right?
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
They could, and with the signed drivers being required for at least 64-bit Vista, they could enforce it. But I'd be VERY willing to bet that if Microsoft even hinted at this, the hardware maker would just have to threaten to call the DOJ and Microsoft would backpedal faster than you could say "antitrust."
And you also mentioned the other solution if Microsoft does make threatening noises. With both the Windows and Linux kernel driver APIs being stable, it should be trivial to make a translation wrapper between the two. MS would have their hands tied in keeping drivers off Linux if that happens as they'd have to stop their own driver development. MS needs as many good drivers as they can get for even 32-bit Vista, let alone anything 64-bit. If I were Microsoft, I'd be helping out all I could to get a stable wrapper or translation layer so that a "universal" driver for both Linux and Vista could be made by device manufacturers. Vista notoriously lacks drivers, especially Vista 64-bit, and Linux has enough to make most things work, especially for corporate machines and in server rooms. Both of those areas are ones that are much more likely to consider switching to Linux from W2K/XP than to Vista than the ordinary Joe. Or they will sit on XP like many sat on W2K until around the time XP SP2 came out. Both results would give MS no sales, and since they are also MS's most profitable markets, not upgrading to Vista would be a serious blow to MS. So I think that taking a risk that some previous 2K/XP switch to Linux because of more driver support is far outweighed by the increased number of Vista sales because of better driver support.
Just "gittin-r-done," day after day.