Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!nuchat!steve
From: steve@nuchat.UUCP (Steve Nuchia)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aux
Subject: Re: 3rd party tape drives and "tc" driver
Message-ID: <20543@nuchat.UUCP>
Date: 16 Mar 90 22:45:58 GMT
References: <39534@apple.Apple.COM>
Reply-To: steve@nuchat.UUCP (Steve Nuchia)
Organization: Houston Public Access
Lines: 33

In article <39534@apple.Apple.COM> rick@Apple.COM (Rick Auricchio) writes:
>The source for the driver is available in Apple's "Driver Kit" or whatever
>it's really called.  As far as I know, it's available to developers thru the
>direct support channels (and maybe thru APDA, which is an Apple department

right, price is approx $100.

>that distributes this kinda stuff).  I don't know the legal issues on
>redistribution, but I *think* third parties are allowed to hack the sample
>driver(s) and do what they want.  But don't quote me on this.

According to the license that comes with it you can't even
copy it to your hard disk.  Go figure.

>Also included in the kit is a portion of kernel source (especially all the
>I/O stuff), and a bunch of binary files (the stuff owned by AT&T). Of course,

Uhm, there wasn't much source beyond the apple device drivers.

Worse yet, it didn't have the driver I needed, the one that
doesn't work for the AST/Orange micro serial abortion card.

> But you can distribute *configurable* drivers.

Actually the license doesn't say you can do that, at least not
if your driver is derived from anything in the package.

They really need to straighten out the mumbo-jumbo if they
expect it to be taken seriously.

-- 
Steve Nuchia	      South Coast Computing Services      (713) 964-2462
"You have no scars on your face, and you cannot handle pressure." - Billy Joel