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Linksys to release source

From:  Andrew Miklas <public@mikl.as>
To:  linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject:  Re: Linksys WRT54G and the GPL
Date:  Tue, 10 Jun 2003 18:47:39 -0400
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Hi,

I'm pleased to report that Linksys has noticed the activity here and is now in 
the process of determining what must be released under the GPL.  I will keep 
this list updated on what I receive.

My current contact within Linksys also noted that the company has a long 
tradition of support for Linux.  Previously, they have shipped CDs containing 
GPL'd source with their networking products.  I'm told the lack of source for 
the WRT54G was not intentional and is an isolated incident.

If anyone has any material that they want me to forward on to the people at 
Linksys, please drop me a line at this address.



-- Andrew
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Linux and wireless

Posted Jun 11, 2003 14:27 UTC (Wed) by rknop (guest, #66) [Link]

But, as noted in the article, we probably aren't going to get the source we'd really want: the wireless drivers.

What wireless cards *are* supported? The HOWTO's and FAQ's on the matter are, franky, confusing. They list various chips and cards that are supported, but if you dig down a bit and read about the various cards, most of them say "well, up until a year ago they used this supported chipset, but now this card uses a different chipset even though it has the same model number, and that new chipset isn't supported". I am not really in the market for a new card (when I bought a couple, I got Lucent Orinocos since I knew they were well supported, even if more expensive), so I haven't figured out exactly what I would do. But I have this vague impression that wireless support on Linux is a bit of a mess, in that most of the recent chipsets in cards that are readily available are simply not supported. (Definitely not with open-source drivers.)

Is it this bad, or do I have a false impression?

I also really wish manufacturers would give their bloody products a new model number when they change something so fundamental about the product as what drivers will work with them. I realize that the attitude is "we're giving you a Windows driver disk, you don't need to know what's going on inside", but sheesh, if they're going to change the chipset, give it a new bloody model number. That way, if we find something that works, and we find one of those somethings in a store, we can be sure that that new version of the same something will still work. Without being able to rely on that, it's very difficult to buy hardware for Linux systems.

-Rob

Linux and wireless

Posted Jun 11, 2003 19:30 UTC (Wed) by torsten (guest, #4137) [Link]

Here is the list of supported cards, including model numbers.

Linux and wireless

Posted Jun 11, 2003 23:11 UTC (Wed) by rknop (guest, #66) [Link]

BUT -- some of those model numbers have been released under different chips. That's what I was talking about. If you find other wireless pages, and go to the pages specifically about (for example) the D-Link 650 cards, you find that they have been released with completely different hardware.

Thus, just a list of model numbers isn't useful enough. We need a list of model numbers PLUS a list that tells us where the model numbers are enough information.

-Rob

Perhaps

Posted Jun 11, 2003 16:26 UTC (Wed) by elanthis (subscriber, #6227) [Link]

Depending on what sources the release, maybe the community will be able to fix those buggy POS cable/DSL routers... for one, make Mozilla work with the admin interface. Perhaps also fix some of the bugs. And make it so when you turn off UPnP, it actually turns off. And maybe add Zeroconf support (i.e., UPnP without the MS baggage).

That would make me a happy little network admin.

Perhaps

Posted Jun 11, 2003 22:48 UTC (Wed) by TheOneKEA (subscriber, #615) [Link]

I wonder how long it will be before a project pops up on Savannah or Sourceforge which offers a build environment for constructing new WRT54G firmware.

Just think: You buy the WRT54G. You d/l the package. You add IPv6 :D :D :D

The possibilities are endless. Good on Linksys for using their heads on this one.

Busybox is in there

Posted Jun 11, 2003 23:09 UTC (Wed) by BrucePerens (subscriber, #2510) [Link]

Busybox is in there. Erik Andersen and I were informed a while ago, and Erik had his dad (an attorney) write them a letter. Not a hostile one, just one explaining what their responsibility was and offering to answer whatever questions they had. Thus, I expect that they had about a month's notice before this hit the kernel list, so were probably already part of the way to figuring this out.

Thanks

Bruce

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