[linux-audio-user] Interesting Tidbit: The Midas XL8 uses Linux

[M P Smoak]

On Friday 09 June 2006 15:13, Lee Revell wrote:
> On Fri, 2006-06-09 at 20:55 +0200, Alberto Botti wrote:
> > Il giorno mer, 07/06/2006 alle 11.49 -0400, Lee Revell ha scritto:
> > > On Wed, 2006-06-07 at 04:50 -0500, Jan Depner wrote:
> > > >     Why do you assume this?  There are plenty of closed-source
> > > > applications and drivers running on top of Linux.
> > >
> > > Closed source applications are perfectly OK.  A closed source
> > > ALSA driver violates the GPL.
> > >
> > >From the ALSA soundcard support page
> >
> > (http://www.alsa-project.org/call.php):
> >
> > "There is nothing to stop any company from developing a binary only
> > driver that works with ALSA. But there are several issues and
> > requirements we want to make clear to anybody attempting to do
> > this."
>
> "Works with ALSA" is not exactly the same as a binary ALSA driver.
>
> "Binary-only drivers cannot be based on any ALSA source code. They
> must be written from scratch. Binary-only drivers that contain ALSA
> code are infringing on copyright laws."
>
> IOW, a binary only ALSA driver can implement the ALSA API, but it
> cannot use the ALSA kernel middle layer at all.
>
> AFAICT this means that you could implement a ALSA compatibility
> wrapper around a binary blob as long as that blob was not developed
> for use on Linux.  But developing a binary driver for use on Linux is
> clearly a derived work of the kernel and thus illegal.
>
> Lee

So a company that wanted to have a proprietary connection to linux could 
write an open source blob and a closed connection to the blob for their
closed hardware/software?  ie linux remains useable for companies.

If not, I'm having a hard time seeing this as a positive situation. 
More like alsa shooting themselves in the foot. 

I'm not a programmer or audio pro;  just a linux user who advocates open 
source and avenues of co-existence with businesses.

Marv