[openmoko-announce] Crossroads

[Wolfgang S. Rupprecht]

Harald Welte <laforge at openmoko.org> writes:
> Now if some of you ask yourself: But you're having binary-only GPS code!
> My answer is:
>
> 1) it's in userspace, and thus not a legal issue at all.  Nobody argues
>    that running Oracle on top of a Linux kernel is a GPL violation.  No
>    grey arae. Clear-cut and 100% legal.
> 2) it's not required to make the phone wokr.  GPS is definitely a add-on
>    feature, a gimmick.  Not as important as communication channels like
>    GSM, Bluetooth, WiFi.

If kernel vs. userspace is the issue, can't the wifi code by moved
into userspace and register frobbing done via ioctl's?  Sure it is
somewhat distasteful to have all those context switches, but it does
bring some advantages too.  Writing an open driver replacement becomes
a simpler task when the wifi code can be run under normal userland
gdb.

-wolfgang
-- 
Wolfgang S. Rupprecht                http://www.wsrcc.com/wolfgang/