Re: RTAI/RtLinux

From: Karim Yaghmour <karim@opersys.com>
To: Larry McVoy <lm@bitmover.com>
Cc: Erwin Rol <erwin@muffin.org>,
	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, RTAI users <rtai@rtai.org>
Subject: Re: RTAI/RtLinux
Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 12:28:59 -0400	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <3CEFBBCB.57125D12@opersys.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <1022317532.15111.155.camel@rawpower> <20020525090537.G28795@work.bitmover.com>

Larry McVoy wrote:
> > Also apparently there is the idea that all RTAI developers want to
> > become rich by getting the patent out of the way and sell RTAI.
> 
> So the thing I have a problem with is that Victor says that all GPL
> is fine.  You say you are all GPL.  So far, no problem.  Yet you keep
> coming back and saying there is a problem, that Linux is going to
> be out of the running as a real time platform because of the patent.
> I don't get it, why should the patent prevent Linux from being used?
> All it does is say "if you aren't making money, we aren't making money,
> if you are making money, we want a cut".

That's the whole point isn't it. If Linus had used a licensing model
(patent or copyright, I don't care) by which every Linux user would
have to pay him a royalty, we wouldn't be here today. The same stands
for real-time in Linux. As long as users have to pay one vendor every
time they use the technology, it will not lift off the ground and will
keep Linux stuck with it.

>  That seems OK to me, in fact,
> it seems more than OK.  It seems like someone who is trying to help
> those who are helping others and charge those who are charging others.
> That's smart, that's good.

This is an oversimplification. You should add that Victor wants to
be the only one who can help others. And in doing so, he is not helping
anyone but himself.

>  It means that FSMlabs will be here 20 years
> from now, still supporting this stuff, whereas all the "we'll survive
> off of support" people will have long since gone under.

I personnally think that FSMLabs will probably not live very long.
They base their entire business model on one very shallow patent.
The day the patent goes, so does FSMLabs.

It's not like this is IBM who has thousands of patents. This company
relies on a single shallow patent for its entire revenue stream.
Talk about playing Russian-roulette with a fully loaded gun.

Karim

===================================================
                 Karim Yaghmour
               karim@opersys.com
      Embedded and Real-Time Linux Expert
===================================================