Besides the CDDL and GPL being incompatible with each other, the Sun file-system cannot simply be reimplemented in a new source base under the GNU Public License due to patents covering ZFS.
In terms of how native ZFS for Linux is being handled by this Indian company, they are releasing their ported ZFS code under the Common Development & Distribution License and will not be attempting to go for mainline integration. Instead, this company will just be releasing their CDDL source-code as a build-able kernel module for users and ensuring it does not use any GPL-only symbols where there would be license conflicts. KQ Infotech also seems confident that Oracle will not attempt to take any legal action against them for this work.
While it is nice to finally see a ZFS kernel module for Linux, under the conditions and unclear legal fate its future will be limited and not as hopeful as a proper port that could have been sanctioned by Sun Microsystems. Due to license incompatibilities, KQ's ZFS will not make its way into the Linux kernel nor will distribution vendors pick it up.
This work would have also carried more weight had it been released two or three years ago prior to the emergence of Btrfs as a wonderful next-generation file-system with capabilities that can compete with ZFS.
Vamos, que muy bien para quien lo necesite, pero que no parece tener un futuro muy prometedor, por culpa de las puñeteras patentes de software, que para lo único que sirven es para eliminar la diversidad y la libre competencia y, desde luego, para ralentizar el progreso.
Esa ha sido una de las cagadas de opensolaris: no han atraído desarrolladores, pero las cosas interesantes de osol... ¡se portan a los sistemas libres que compiten con él!
De todas formas, la barrera que puso SUN con la licencia CDDL creo que nos impedirá verlo integrado en el kernel de Linux.
Algo así como Xen y KVM. Uno no está integrado en la rama oficial del kernel, el otro sí. Está claro porque se apuesta cada vez más por KVM para medio plazo, ¿no?
Pues nada, muy bonito ZFS... pero en Linux mandará btrfs que ya está en el kernel.
Besides the CDDL and GPL being incompatible with each other, the Sun file-system cannot simply be reimplemented in a new source base under the GNU Public License due to patents covering ZFS.
In terms of how native ZFS for Linux is being handled by this Indian company, they are releasing their ported ZFS code under the Common Development & Distribution License and will not be attempting to go for mainline integration. Instead, this company will just be releasing their CDDL source-code as a build-able kernel module for users and ensuring it does not use any GPL-only symbols where there would be license conflicts. KQ Infotech also seems confident that Oracle will not attempt to take any legal action against them for this work.
While it is nice to finally see a ZFS kernel module for Linux, under the conditions and unclear legal fate its future will be limited and not as hopeful as a proper port that could have been sanctioned by Sun Microsystems. Due to license incompatibilities, KQ's ZFS will not make its way into the Linux kernel nor will distribution vendors pick it up.
This work would have also carried more weight had it been released two or three years ago prior to the emergence of Btrfs as a wonderful next-generation file-system with capabilities that can compete with ZFS.
Vamos, que muy bien para quien lo necesite, pero que no parece tener un futuro muy prometedor, por culpa de las puñeteras patentes de software, que para lo único que sirven es para eliminar la diversidad y la libre competencia y, desde luego, para ralentizar el progreso.