YDL and AIX Binary Compatibility

[Derick Centeno]

Hi Rick:
The reason your wish, perhaps shared by many, will not take place is
because of the second sentence which I wrote to Chris, which you
stripped out.  While it is possible to implement many items which exist
in hardware as software; there are and will remain limits as to what is
legally allowable.  Remember, nearly everything in Linux, including MOL,
is under GPL (General Public License).

CPU's, circuit boards, any and all hardware components, comprising the
physical composition of what together comprises a computer, is built and
owned by a privately owned company or corporation or even an individual
which has investment, copyright and exclusive license to that component.
They recover the cost of their efforts through fees charged via the open
market such as it is.  In other words, they are NOT under GPL, nor will
they are they likely to ever be in a way useful to GPL or the users of
GPL.  Proprietary licenses do not become public at least until after
nearly a generation; and many owners never allow their work to be so. 
Case in point, Con Edison which keeps and protects the Thomas Edison
patents -- to this day; and Westinghouse which hold many of Tesla's
patents.

These, and any other companies may implement their hardware into
software; but only if they own the various appropriate licenses to do so
and when and if it makes sense, scientifically and economically.

A very good consideration as to how low or cheap things can go is the
paper clip.  One day computers may be as cheap and common, but we in the
US have enough experience to already state that old technology (either
in hardware or in software) becomes increasingly useless for current
problems because as time progresses the tasks we ask our computers to
engage upon are of ever greater complexity.  This is why nearly all
computers depreciate nearly as soon after they are marketed.  Even if
your computer has the initial price of 50K+; it will depreciate as well.

Some cars for all the jokes regarding them (within the computer field,
such as if Rolls Royce could improve its engineering at the same rate as
well as the computer industry did, you could then get a Rolls for a
nickel) actually APPRECIATE -- INCREASE -- in value over time.

Perhaps another perspective would be helpful; programmers have to, like
everyone else, charge for their services and talents.  They can
contribute freely to GPL because their income is generated elsewhere. 
And although a few may be living just above disaster by sleeping under
their desks at the office (to avoid risking their income by being
extravagant enough to rent or lease a living space) more fortunate
others code for enjoyment, or generosity.  Others code "literally to
eat" hoping their efforts working with writing GPL software can be
demonstrated to other employers as a means to gaining employment.   And
while no figures are kept regarding how many are doing this I personally
doubt Linux would be moving as quickly as it is without the
contributions of this body of people.

It is the unfortunate nature of many to confuse what is "free" with what
is worthless and truly of no value.  And many others are hated for
having understood enough to modify what had been without value into
products without which modern life would be more difficult, and
certainly less enjoyable.

On Wed, 2004-09-01 at 02:37, Rick Thomas wrote:
> Speaking of Wine and Darwine...
> 
> I wonder if MOL (Mac on Linux) could be tweaked to simulate an 
> RS/6000 machine running AIX (and AIX binaries on top of that).  It 
> already runs macOS-9, MacOS-X, and YDL Linux, so it's a 
> possibility.  It would be fun to try.  The firmware (CHRP?/PREP?) 
> will be the killer.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Rick
> 
> 
> On Tuesday, August 31, 2004, at 10:29 PM, Derick Centeno wrote:
> 
> > <talk about Darwine...>
> 
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