Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:38:16 -0700 From: Julian Elischer <julian@elischer.org> To: John Birrell <jb@what-creek.com> Cc: Darren Reed <darrenr@freebsd.org>, Olivier Warin <daffy@xview.net>, freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Dtrace port status Message-ID: <46F40188.4060408@elischer.org> In-Reply-To: <20070921070347.GA17990@what-creek.com> References: <6385B28C-01D1-459A-9543-E36C89C7F36E@xview.net> <20070920203413.GA13737@what-creek.com> <46F367E0.4000300@freebsd.org> <20070921070347.GA17990@what-creek.com>
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John Birrell wrote: > On Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 11:42:40PM -0700, Darren Reed wrote: >> John Birrell wrote: >>> DTrace consists mainly of kernel modules, however in order for DTrace >>> to inspect the kernel internals it has to have some code inside >>> existing BSD licensed files. >>> >> This should not be a problem. >> Code added to BSD licensed files should be BSD licensed. > > Only if it is clean-room coded. > > In the case of DTrace, the only reference is the OpenSolaris > CDDL code. It's hard to claim something as BSD licensed when > all you are really doing is adding stuff like: > > (part of struct thread) > uintptr_t td_dtrace_pc; /* DTrace saved pc from fasttrap. */ > uintptr_t td_dtrace_npc; /* DTrace next pc from fasttrap. */ > uintptr_t td_dtrace_scrpc; > /* DTrace per-thread scratch location. */ > uintptr_t td_dtrace_astpc; > /* DTrace return sequence location. */ > u_int64_t td_hrtime; /* Last time on cpu. */ > > Sun still claims CDDL on snippets as simple as this (because the > reference was CDDL'd). > > I had hoped they'd just say "that's OK to be BSD licensed". > > But, no, their attitude is that FreeBSD can just suck up Sun's > patent clauses in the CDDL. > > I could just change the field names and re-arrange the words > in the comments to make it look like I thought of it. But if that's > OK by Sun's lawyers then they are just stupid. If they were to ask > me in a court of law (in a proceeding like the ones SCO has > been in), what would my answer be? Answer: I read the OpenSolaris > code which is CDDL'd and I worked out what I had to add to FreeBSD > and I added it. With vi. :-) they can't copyright the names to the variables. you don't need the same comments. Personally I thing they wouldn't have a leg to stand on.. sounds like "fair use" to me. > > > -- > John Birrell > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"
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