[ILUG] GPL source code for embedded systems

[Martin Donlon]

On Thu, 16 Mar 2000, Burke, Gary : GIG IS&T wrote:

> ]> A prime example of this is Transmeta's Code morphing software.  They
> ]> shouldn't be open-sourced from the point of view that they don't want the
> ]> native instruction set of the Transmeta chips to be known, as they don't
> ]> want anyone coding for it.  This is to allow them to change it completely
> ]> without affecting anyone (ie. they can make stuff more efficient).
> ]
> ] I don't agree with that. As long as you tell people "this will change.
> ]Write for this chip natively, and it'll not work on Crusoe chips released
> ]in four months", people won't write for it.
> 
> I would say that people would write for it - I would expect someone like MS
> to do just that, and they sue because their programs don't work in the
> future.
> 
> Transmeta as just being clever by not releasing the instructions set, and
> thus stopping people from making these mistakes.
Hmm strange.....when companies like Matrox, 3dfx, Nvidia, Lucent,
Rockwell, ATI, S3 etc...etc, don't release their specs everyone gets all
upset. All these companies has industry secrets, just like Transmeta. If
only they had a Linus......

Long live the confused,
                  Akawaka.
--
Bother! said Pooh, as he saw Ms. Bobbit drive up.