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Android and the Linux Kernel Community
An anonymous reader links to Greg Kroah-Hartman's explanation of a rift (hopefully mendable) in the development culture of Google's Linux-based Android OS and the Linux kernel itself. "As the Android kernel code is now gone from the Linux kernel, as of the 2.6.33 kernel release, I'm starting to get a lot of questions about what happened, and what to do next with regards to Android. So here's my opinion on the whole matter ..."
Come dicono in Toscana, quanto puppano gli UnitedStatesOfNorthAmerica.
C'era da aspettarselo.
Buona notte America.
Linux was under the BSD license, they wouldn't have had to give anything back, but it would have made it easier for contributors to give to both branches. (Or just copy the code between the two).
The GPL has actually caused me to drop Linux. I want ZFS for my home server, zfs is not the answer (maxing out 2 cores to copy files?!). Because of the whole "GPL or the highway" approach, even though ZFS IS opensource, it's not 'compatible'.
FreeBSD has no qualms, so I'm in the process of migrating my servers to FreebSD.
As I said, the only groups being hurt by this are Google and those dumb enough to rely on Android for their future, anyone else with a brain will take a look at the competition and more open platforms.
Is that why we already succeeded at Year Of Linux On Desktop back in 2003?
Your representation of the facts is suspect on a number of fronts.
The short form is that if they don't like how we use the kernel, we're unlikely to be accepted upstream.
You casually forget to mention your introduction of a completely new lock method. This is a case of Google throwing code over the wall. That's not going to fly. When some suggestions are made regarding the method, they are ignored.
Then, there are proprietary dependencies that can't be released that breaks the build process. No effort is made on Google's part to make this play nice with a kernel build. More code throwing.
Then there are implications to other ARM builds that Google won't touch.
It's all still released as source code to the world
Which creates problems for practically every ARM platform developer BUT Google.
Outside of the Google Reality Distortion Field, the code just doesn't work. At all.
http://www.maxineudall.com/2010/02/should-economists-be-sued-for-malpractice.html
Uh, both Symbian, iPhone and Windows mobile dominate that field. Sure Android (not linux! expect for some Nokia phones) is getting there some, but it's still far away.
Just fyi, Android != Linux, especially after these recent changes.
That's also why the companies supporting Linux are so far between. Every different combination of things in different distros is making it hell to develop for, especially now that Google is taking the base kernel apart. It requires so much extra work that companies don't like to do it for what they get out of it.
That would be the case if it was completely different business model. But Google's business model allows them to generate cash almost endlessly as long as they keep gaining users and keep advertisers happy. In top of that, they are kind-of an technology company so developing OS that also improves their business model is like finding a gold pot at end of the rainbow. It means Google works hard to get themselves everywhere where they can and to every person on the planet. Compare that to Linux which is mostly used in server environments or on some geeks desktop. Of course companies are going to jump the Google bandwagon because it sounds so lucrative.
I was specifically talking of products for which Google released the source when they were not obligated to do so (since so was GGP). In case of Android and Chrome, they build on existing [L]GPL'ed codebases (Linux and WebKit, correspondingly), so Google didn't have a choice of not releasing the source there. Well, I guess they could try to separate their code changes as much as possible, so that they wouldn't have to release them under GPL, but it's probably a lot of effort for little worth.
Nah, I'm speaking of Google products that are developed entirely in-house. Where is the source for the search engine itself? GMail? even for desktop applications only, where's the source for Picasa or Google Toolbar?
It is called Embrace, Extend and Extinguish. I thought it only applies to MS. Well I think, Do no Evil is gone through the window :)
Well, we know what Steve Jobs said about Google's "Don't Be Evil" mantra--"It's bullshit." Or, "a load of crap," depending on your source.
Considering it's coming from the CEO of one of the single most evil US companies, I think by "bullshit" he means, "it's bullshit that a business would try to operate based on anything other than trying to increase profit. It's their problem, and that's why we're going to win," not "bullshit" as in "they're not trying to not do evil."
STFU and get back to sucking Ballmer's cock, you piece of shit.
No, that's just it, he felt double crossed about Google entering the phone market precisely because he did not want competition from them. Perhaps he didn't expect it either, but clearly the two go hand in hand else he wouldn't have been pissed off about it. It still clearly demonstrates Jobs does not appreciate competition however you cut it.