Kurt H Maier wrote: > So what's the real difference between iosrv/hubfs and MULTI-PIPES? > Is anyone here good enough at translating patentese to code to tell > what the technical differences are? The patent even specifically > mentions 9P.
Well, since I'm trying to deal with this in human way rather than a legalistic way, I'll just share my honest perspective without any kind of sarcasm etc. I didn't really mean to kick any hornet's nests. Software patents are basically BS. I don't think I "invented" anything in any software I have written. At the end of the manpage for hubfs, I put a big quote from an interview with Ken Thompson where he is talking about Doug McIlroy's ideas in the 60s and how they were too complex. The point I was making was that I perceived hubfs to be a simple way to implement the ideas that Doug McIlroy had invented - and I don't think HE should have gotten a patent either! MULTI-PIPES have a more complicated control interface and I'm sure the implementation is in every single way more robust and better engineered than my little 9pfile 9pfs. When I said I know better than to disagree with the professional opinion of the IBM lawyers, I meant it. I highly doubt any random individual who writes software is going to accomplish anything arguing with them about who the inventor of an idea is. My belief is that Doug McIlroy is the inventor, if anyone. Before I saw this patent, to whatever extent I knew about multi-pipes in relation to anything I'd done, I was just happy if there was some kind of parallel evolution or inspiration or anything between myself as a hobbyist and the big time pros working on Blue Gene. Seeing a patent though makes me feel differently - because I don't think anyone should be paying IBM for using buffered muxed network transparent pipes. Anyway, I meant what I said about how on a personal level I feel friendly toward everyone on the Blue Gene project and I'd love to have a positive and not antagonistic relationship with everyone involved in Plan 9. -Ben Kidwell "mycroftiv"
