HTC - source for 2.6.35 Evo Shift kernel

[Henrik Nordström]

tor 2011-08-11 klockan 16:35 +0100 skrev Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton:

>  the only up-side is that *if* the remaining Copyright Holders *can*
> actually be bothered to bring weight to bear on GPL Linux Kernel
> Infringers, then many many people benefit from the end-result:
> mass-produced and thus low-cost devices which users can actually have
> proper control over and install the software of _their_ choice.

GPLv2 do not guarantee this. It only requires that users gets access to
the source and ability to rebuild the binary, it does not enforce that
users should be able to run their own binaries on the device in
questionö.

>  also it's also practically impossible to back-track the device from
> the reta il stores to the supplier in order to have the device shipped
> _with_ that alternative and truly Free-Software-Compliant,
> non-GPL-violating OS, because by that time you'd be expected to place
> an up-front cash order for a hundred thousand units a month in order
> to get the parts let alone the units.

Nothing odd there. Just economics. The closer you get to manufacturing
the higher the investment requirements.

More annoying is that in most devices you can't even if you find the
manufacturer as there very often is major components for which there is
no free software drivers.

Regards
Henrik