Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Clearance For New Linux Wireless Driver

Posted by kdawson on from the room-turned-out-to-be-clean dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Software Freedom Law Center has given legal clearance to OpenHAL, a wireless component for Linux, based on their pro-bono review of the code. This announcement dispels allegations of infringement on Atheros' proprietary HAL software. 'We believe that this outcome will clear the way for eventual acceptance of a new wireless driver into the Linux kernel,' said John Linville, the Linux kernel maintainer for wireless networking."

5 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Excellent! by blhack · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Now if only we could get something decent for Broadcom hardware.... we do have something decent for Broadcom hardware. Link
    --
    NewslilySocial News. No lolcats allowed.
  2. some history by cinnamon+colbert · · Score: 5, Interesting

    back in the 80s, kodak developed an instant film,and to make sure it was not infringing the polaroid patent suite, kodak paid for opinions from 3 seperate law firms

    Polaroid sued, Kodak lost, and the opinions did not help them one little bit

    or, would you bet your mortgage on the law center getting it right ?

    1. Re:some history by Moniker42 · · Score: 5, Funny

      You can always get experts to agree with you as long as you find the right experts. It reminds me of a scene from "Yes, Prime Minister". Hope I'm not posting too much here but it's a great scene ;)

      Sir Humphrey: "You know what happens: nice young lady comes up to you. Obviously you want to create a good impression, you don't want to look a fool, do you? So she starts asking you some questions: Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the number of young people without jobs?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the rise in crime among teenagers?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a lack of discipline in our Comprehensive schools?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Do you think young people welcome some authority and leadership in their lives?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Do you think they respond to a challenge?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Would you be in favour of reintroducing National Service?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Oh...well, I suppose I might be."
      Sir Humphrey: "Yes or no?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Of course you would, Bernard. After all you told you can't say no to that. So they don't mention the first five questions and they publish the last one."
      Bernard Woolley: "Is that really what they do?"
      Sir Humphrey: "Well, not the reputable ones no, but there aren't many of those. So alternatively the young lady can get the opposite result."
      Bernard Woolley: "How?"
      Sir Humphrey: "Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the danger of war?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the growth of armaments?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Do you think it is wrong to force people to take up arms against their will?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "Would you oppose the reintroduction of National Service?"
      Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
      Sir Humphrey: "There you are, you see Bernard. The perfect balanced sample."

  3. Re:Excellent! by visualight · · Score: 5, Insightful

    My impression of Broadcom hardware is 100% based on my experience using their products on Linux, and imo Broadcom is the suck.

    I've noticed that when an application or gadget doesn't work well on MS Windows, people blame the application or the gadget, not Windows. But those same people blame Linux for every application/gadgets shortcomings.

    There are more Desktops running Linux everyday though and one day vendors will start to realize that when their hardware "doesn't work" on Linux *a lot* of people will see that as a reflection of their product, not the Linux Kernel.

    For myself, I don't even address driver stability in conversation anymore, I just go straight to "vendor x makes crap hardware".

    --
    Samsung took back my unlocked bootloader because Google wants me to rent movies. They're both evil.
  4. Free Software HAL == legal? by racyrefinedraj · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From what I understand (and from what the Madwifi wiki tells me), the current HAL is closed source because the Atheros chipset has the technical capabilities to broadcast out of the legal range of spectrum allowed by the FCC and similar bodies. Wouldn't distributing OpenHal be illegal? The SFLC seems to answer a different question in TFA - what about the legal ramifications of distributing a free software HAL in the first place?