>>> If they choose to pass on Linux instead, I also say good.
>>> We're enough of an influence to be noticed, and we stuck to
>>> our pricipals that helped get us here. No company created Linux.
>>> No company can stop it, unless people get too greedy/stupid.
>>
>> I'm sure it feels really good to say that.
>>
>> Now, would you rather trade patents or be prohibited from writing
>> good free software because you haven't any patents to trade?
>
> When have people been prohibited from writing good free software
> because they haven't got any patents to trade?
IPv6 routing Several good algorithms are prohibited.
compression Arithmetic encoding (bzip), MPEG, audio, GIF...
encryption Idea, RSA, some kinds of key exchange...
color management The gimp can't do it. Damn.
filesystem updates We can't do delayed ordered writes.
OSPF The IETF is not happy with this one!
quality-of-service Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) QoS
register allocation Ever wonder why VC++ code can beat g++ code?
PPP Can't return a useful error code to the other side.
drivers/net/zlib.c Must use code with nonlinear time requirements.
That is from memory + grep. Actual research would show many more.
I'd say this is definitely hurting us. Of course, we have nothing
to trade for access. If the FSF isn't willing to trade patents,
maybe one of the Linux distributers would take the role.
>> We could really use a collection. It would be easy to get hardware
>> specs out of reluctant vendors. :-) "All documentation or else!"
>
> Vendors are already starting to see the importance of public
> documentation (no documentation means no support means no users
> means no sales). It's common sense, no need to threaten anyone.
Most computers ship with a WinModem and 3d accelerator.
Many have undocumented printers and sound cards.
Try this: walk into a consumer-oriented electronics store and buy the
first PC you see. Laptops are even better. Run Linux on it.
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