[tulip] tulip on solaris

Thomas Dodd ted@cypress.com
Thu, 22 Feb 2001 10:34:16 -0600


Donald Becker wrote:
> 
> > > It would be a violation of the GPL to distribute a version of the Linux
> > > tulip driver ported to Solaris.  Well, at least until Scott McNealy GPLs
> > > Solaris (scheduled just after the evolution of porcine aviation).

> Keep in mind that I have standing, motivation and experience to take
> legal action.  Even Sun, with in-house legal resources and significant
> technical investment, backed off of pursuing this issue.

Or you could dual license the driver so we could port it.
I'd like to see a driver for both x86 and Sparc (PCI Ultra's)
under Solaris so I could use 2+ NICs in them with tulip cards.
And using the same driver source for x86 and Sparc, Solaris
and Linux would likely mean they work well together and
any issues with one, would get fixed on all at the same time.

I don't have the knowledge to writ a driver myself,
but it's your code, to do with as you please. I respect that.
I just disagree with limiting the uses. I would want my code
used in as many systems as possible as long as I got proper
credit for the code. I wouldn't want Sun/HP/SGI to port the
code and add only the binary to their OS, with out my
permission and without telling users where the code came
from either. But I'd love for them to use my code with
permission.

Now If only I had something worth them using :(


> > > You should ask Sun for a driver -- after all, they tout how much better
> > > their commercial Unix is than Linux.  Remind them that "Sun's version of
> > > Linux is named Solaris".
> 
> Did anyone ask Sun why they don't yet have driver?  What about Sun's
> commitment to x86 Solaris?  Didn't you pay for Solaris and it's
> extensive support?

I have the free version of Solaris x86, and no support.
Long time users probably have support, but only use
supported hardware. It's the new users of the free
version wanting drivers for unsupported hardware like
the tulip cards.

	-Thomas