Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!hubcap!ncrcae!ncr-sd!hp-sdd!ucsdhub!jack!sdeggo!dave
From: dave@sdeggo.UUCP (David L. Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport
Subject: Re: Microport Users Corp.
Message-ID: <178@sdeggo.UUCP>
Date: 9 Mar 88 19:24:54 GMT
References: <176@sdeggo.UUCP> <215@sdti.UUCP>
Organization: Lazy Programmer's Society of San Diego
Lines: 42
Keywords: sources

In article <215@sdti.UUCP>, mjy@sdti.UUCP (Michael J. Young) writes:
> In article <176@sdeggo.UUCP> dave@sdeggo.UUCP (David L. Smith) writes:
> >[proposal to form a private company with access to Microport sources]
> 
> >Now for the tough question:  Is this feasible and legal?  I believe that a
> >source license applies to the company as a whole, not just a single machine,
> >so I don't see a problem there.  
> 
> When we've gotten licenses from AT&T, they are for a specific machine - you
> even have to tell them what the serial number of the machine is.

Well, if Microport can send sources out to consultants, so could we.  Another
proposal that has been made is to have the corporation maintain an AT or
two that the employees could dial-in to to access the sources.  After all,
who wants to keep 20M or so of sources on-line?
 
> Actually, if you are that interested in helping Microport fix a bug in
> their product, it is my understanding that you can negotiate with them
> (Microport) to be placed under their own source license as a consultant
> or contractor.  AT&T does make allowances for things like this.  I bet
> Microport would be willing to accept some free help from responsible
> users.

Microport has expressed a willingness to do this, but I see no reason why
I should give my work to them for free so that they may sell it to other
users as an "upgrade."  If Microport were willing to distribute these fixes
through their bulletin board free to all registered users (not just those
with a current support contract) I would be more willing.  

I have been in touch with one person who has been attempting for some time
to get access to the driver sources, and has been promised by Microport that
he will receive them, however, nothing has come of this after several months.  
I don't want to blast Microport for this, as it is certainly not part of 
their duty to give these sources out. However, it would make for much more 
timely fixes if the sources were more readily available.


-- 
David L. Smith
{sdcsvax!jack,ihnp4!jack, hp-sdd!crash, pyramid, uport}!sdeggo!dave
sdeggo!dave@amos.ling.edu 
Sinners can repent, but stupid is forever.