Speaking of publishing code, I have a very interesting book called "The Magic Garden Explained: The Internals of UNIX System V Release 4. An Open Systems Design", by Berny Goodheart and James Cox. This book explains very much how many of the relevant parts of the SVr4 kernel work. Quite detailed in places. The code snippets are written not as C code, but regular English. However, there are in many places function names and variables. They present understandable descriptions of many algorithms, as well as how all the parts interact. Good reading for anyone who wants to understand good kernel design.
This book presents a curious dilemma for SCO: their complaint is that their IP rights have been violated. Are they complaining about the algorithms, the specific implementation of the algorithms, or both? Given that "The Magic Garden" explains many SVr4 algorithms (e.g, from the book: "Figure 3.26: Algorithm for pageout()", or "Figure 3.34: Algorithm for kmem_alloc()"), without complaint from AT&T/Novell/SCO, publication of those must be OK. These algorithms are written like C functions, telling what happens at each step. It is just this side of being actual C code. So, it must be only the specific implementation of the algorithm that is the problem, not the fact that the algorithm is used. If SCO were to publish the violating code, it seems it would be only to change the C code, keeping the algorithm. That is a simple task compared to having to invent a new algorithm. Given that"The Magic Garden" describes the algorithms, it must be possible for Linux to keep them. Even for the things SCO claims are in the kernel that are not in this book, the precedent that it is not the algorithm but the specific C code must still apply, making C code modifications permissible here as well. Anyone snapping up those "UnixWare at the cost of UnitedLinux" offerings? On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 19:21:49 -0600 Collins Richey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/smoking-fizzle.html > > I hope this means that the demise of SCO will come RSN! -- +····························+·······························+ · Roger Oberholtzer · E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] · · OPQ Systems AB · WWW: http://www.opq.se/ · · Erik Dahlbergsgatan 41-43 · Phone: Int + 46 8 314223 · · 115 34 Stockholm · Mobile: Int + 46 733 621657 · · Sweden · Fax: Int + 46 8 302602 · +····························+·······························+ _______________________________________________ Linux-users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe/Suspend/Etc -> http://www.linux-sxs.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-users
