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Re: [tlug] [C&C--potentially] Heisei Emperor's support of XEmacs (was: Gentoo ebuild for XEmacs-21.5)



Nguyen Vu Hung wrote:
I like the way how IBM joining Linux: They don't develop the Linux
kernel in-house but keep sending their developers to the project.

IBM has made some many important contributions to the Linux kernel but I don't know that their actions are so much different from other corporate contributers. You are aware that IBM has developed binary Linux drivers in the past[1]. Let me quote the reliant part.


* Proprietary Hardware*. Many aspects of the operation of mainframes are governed by proprietary, confidential documentation. For example, the interface to OSA (the network adapter) is secret. IBM has provided a binary (Object-Code-Only) driver for this interface, in clear violation of the Linux Kernel GPL. So far, no one is complaining, since a binary-only network interface is better than no interface at all, but clearly, this cannot stand as is for long.

IIRC, IBM tops the
corporation contribution to Linux kernel. So, when voting for something like
adding new features, IBM does have more power than others.

I think Linus tends to exercise his own judgment rather then take a vote. As for top contributers the last lwn[2] report Linux contributers found that both in LOC and changsets the order was


Unknown 25.0% 19.0%
Red Hat 12.8% 12.8% None 7.7% 11.0%
IBM 7.4% 7.3%


So it is actually those nasty people at Red Hat ;) who "develop the Linux kernel in-house" who are making the biggest corporate contribution. While IBM has made significant contributions to the Linux kernel I think IBM's biggest contribution was to take on SCO.

Edward

1. http://linas.org/linux/i370-bigfoot.html
2. http://lwn.net/Articles/222773/


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