A recent discussion on the lkml examined the possibility of a Linux implementation of Sun's ZFS. It was pointed out that the file system is released under the GPL-incompatible CDDL, and that Sun has filed numerous patents to prevent ZFS from being reverse engineered. Max Yudin pointed out, "according to Jeff Bonwick's blog Sun issued 56 patents on ZFS, but I have no idea what they patented. Sorry, binary compatible ZFS reimplementation with GPL license might not be legal."
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Member since:2006-11-05
They both use Sun's code. Presumably Apple worked something out with them, and the 2-clause BSD license is not incompatible with the CDDL, so there's no problem with FreeBSD. The issue with Linux is that Sun's license and Linux's are both restrictive, but in different ways. Mixing Sun's work with more permissively licensed code is not a problem.
Member since:2005-07-06
The CDDL that ZFS is under has an explicit patent grant, so if you can keep the CDDL license, then you don't have a patent problem.
As mentioned, BSD doesn't really have this issue at all. CDDL is also, like MPL, a file based licensed. So, Apple is obligated to only return any changes they made to ZFS files, but aren't under any obligation to return their entire OS simply because they integrate ZFS.
Beyond perhaps some behind the scenes contracting between Apple and Sun for technical support, there need be otherwise no formal relationship between the companies.
Member since:
2006-02-06
How is it that Mac OS X and FreeBSD overcame the patents problem ? Wouldn't it be possible for Linux to do things the same way ?
Do they use binary compatible reimplementations of the FS ? If so I guess they're all in the same ship with those patents problems.
(I really doesn't know much about ZFS history and implementations, so please excuse if the answers to those questions are obvious).