> The etherIDE would be a good project - the main problem would most > definitely be the lack of a TCP/IP stack and drivers. > Alas Peter Graf knows how to implement this, but cannot see eye to > eye on > the SMSQ/e licence - perhaps it is a language problem, as I do not > see > what the actual problem is with the need to include open source code > in > the operating system. It's possible that stuff like Peter's software may be subject to licensing issues which make it difficult to include them within a commercial project.
If Peter feels he could go to such trouble, one way forward would be to supply his QLWIP (I hope that's what it was called) as a module, which could be linked to SMSQ/E for example. That way he couldn't be accused of putting "free" stuff into commercial programs. I'm not taking sides here as I've never had arguments with either side of this issue, but there has clearly not been complete agreement between Peter and the other parties involved on such issues in relation to SMSQ/E in the past. It really is a shame it's happened and I only wish Peter could find a way around this, as far as I can see the only possible way forward would be to supply it as an add-on rather than as a fully integrated part of the OS. It's also been discussed here that in theory at least Peter could (I daresay he might not want to, though) reassemble the SMSQ/E sources and even become a reseller himself, but the SMSQ/E registrar may prefer to have Peter's work put through the usual channels to end up as a part of SMSQ/E for the benfit of all of us SMSQ/E users, but it does run into the insurmountable licensing issues that if Peter's code is a port of something subject to "shall not be resold for profit" the situation as it stands is probably impossible. Peter's work on this TCP/IP system is not new, I remember Phoebus mentioning it several times in the past. I think Jon Dent's system has run into problems which may mean it won't progress beyond its current state. At least uqlx and qpc2 users can use TCP/IP - I'm tinkering with some email programming at the moment myself (uqlx and qpc2 only so far, I don't think it'll work on SOQL) - but it would be just great to have a universal system of some sort which all QDOS/smsq users could use, as the lack of net access (i.e. having to use Windows!) is a bit of a bugbear for me. And I hope Peter will deliver the SD/MMC unit he teased us with here. With a probable future lack of floppy disk drives, it will give us one way of transferring stuff between computers at least, as well as just being able to read flash memory cards. We do have RomDisq of course, but that is a QL-only device and "only" 8MB maximum, so a device to read/write SD or MMC cards would be quite useful! -- Dilwyn Jones _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
