Andy Smith wrote:
> GPLv2 (and later) has a clause that says you can't further restrict
> people's use of the software, and CDDL does. Realistically the only
> possibility of native ZFS in Linux is if Sun dual licenses it.
The other solution is to write a GPL2 implementation of ZFS, much like
the many other GPL2 implementations of file systems or systems (such
like NFS) in Linux.
However Sun owns the patents required for ZFS (although NetApp
disagrees). I doubt Sun would dare sue anybody because a GPL
implementation of ZFS shows up but it's a possibility.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. First of all it is possible to
use ZFS under Linux via FUSE (File-system in user space). This, however,
has a performance hit and can't be used as the system partition(s).
Secondly, Sun isn't the big evil corporation that (it used to be?) and
"might be" looking at writing a possibly GPL2 Linux port:
http://www.sun.com/emrkt/campaign_docs/expertexchange/knowledge/solaris_zfs_gen.html#10
Q: Any thoughts on porting ZFS to Linux, AIX, or HPUX?
A: No plans of porting to AIX and HPUX. Porting to Linux is currently
being investigated.
However that document is very old. There is still a good weight of
anti-Linux feeling inside Sun. Not anti-open source, not anti-GNU, just
anti-Linux. There are good reasons for this, none of which I agree with,
but they still exist.
The argument is Sun doesn't want to give the Linux kernel project
something Solaris has over Linux and potentially lose customers in the
process.
Cheers,
David
