Gentoo Archives: gentoo-dev

From: Jerry McBride <mcbrides9@×××××××.net>
To: gentoo-dev@l.g.o
Subject: [gentoo-dev] Re: RFC: Niches and new developers (especially xbox)
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 20:10:44
Message-Id: 753sp1xe22.ln2@spinner.my.domain
In Reply to: [gentoo-dev] Re: RFC: Niches and new developers (especially xbox) by seanecovel
1 seanecovel wrote:
2
3 > Daniel Ostrow wrote:
4 >> Here is my take on it:
5 >>
6 >> #1: Supporting architectures as an ideal is not necessarily a bad thing,
7 >> even niche ones, as sometimes things get brought to the table that
8 >> further larger goals. Even if all it means is the maintenance of some
9 >> patches. If someone wants to help the community by porting Gentoo great,
10 >> so long as the project falls completely within the purview of Gentoo
11 >> Technologies, Inc. regarding copyrights and procedures. This last
12 >> statement is where the legality issue comes in, we have to decide if
13 >> something that isn't expressly illegal really is then legal, and that is
14 >> a call I'm not willing to make.
15 >>
16 >> #2: That being said game consoles as a whole are a constantly moving
17 >> target. Simply because the Xbox is an x86 architecture machine today
18 >> does not make it's next generation an x86 arch. So the question is are
19 >> they coming in as x86 devs or Xbox devs? There is no guarantee that the
20 >> next version of the machines are going to be supportable in the same
21 >> manner. So we then open the door to a new sub-arch for each console that
22 >> comes to market.
23 >>
24 >> #3: As far as I am concerned the security issue comes into play just as
25 >> much with a dev working on a major arch, the more people you accept the
26 >> bigger the security hole and that is the bottom line, the size of the
27 >> supported platform really doesn't matter.
28 >>
29 >> So I've given some pro's and con's but when it comes down to it, as long
30 >> as it is able to truly legally be done, go for it. Especially with a
31 >> project like the Xbox it will give the devs an opportunity to learn
32 >> about the x86 arch as a whole, and possibly extend their
33 >> responsibilities, this should be discussed with the leads of x86. As
34 >> with any dev that is being considered without prior involvement in the
35 >> community the onus falls on the mentor to make sure that things go
36 >> smoothly, if vapier is willing to carry that then so be it. I'm just too
37 >> gray on the legality issue to fully throw my support behind it.
38 >>
39 >> Thanks,
40 >>
41 >> Daniel Ostrow
42 >> Gentoo/PPC
43 >> dostrow@g.o
44 >
45 >
46 > As an Xbox Linux user, and a Gentoo user, I'd love to have Gentoo
47 > running on my Xbox. From the discussion above, I can't seem to
48 > understand if there was a final decision made. Seems like it just died
49 > (again...) What are the chances of having an official Gentoo port of
50 > Xbox Linux?
51 >
52
53
54 Also an XBOX user... running linux... and loving every minute of it...
55
56 I hope there's an answer to this DCMA issue. Not being a lawyer, just an old
57 fart, it's looks pretty gloom though.
58
59 --
60
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