Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] PS3 versus freedom

[Eric Blossom]

On Mon, Oct 08, 2007 at 09:59:03PM -0700, John Gilmore wrote:
> > If you want to run on the PS3, you're most likely going to want the
> > IBM SDK 3.0.  The SDK really, really wants FC 7 on the PS3.
> 
> Some people will do anything for crunchons -- or "promised future" crunchons.
> (A crunchon is a unit of number-crunching.)
> 
> I was wondering why this SDK wasn't already part of the SuSe or FC7
> releases.  Ten minutes of research later, the answer is:  it's proprietary.

Part of it is proprietary, most of it is not.

The part we are likely to use is all distributed under the GPL, LGPL
or IBM Common License.  This includes binutils, the two versions of gcc
(one for the PPE, one for the SPE), gdb, libspe2 (the code that provides
the bridge between the Linux user-space code and the SPEs), etc.

> Why would anyone on this mailing list want to install proprietary
> compilers?  The IBM license agreement is extortionate.  Besides the
> usual rape and pillage, it says that:
> 
>   
> http://www14.software.ibm.com/cgi-bin/weblap/lap.pl?la_formnum=&li_formnum=L-MCHN-6MVMPV&title=XL%20C/C%2B%2B%20Alpha%20Edition%20for%20Cell%20Processor
> 
>   *  You are not authorized to use the Program for productive purposes
>   *  THE PROGRAM MAY CONTAIN A DISABLING DEVICE THAT WILL PREVENT IT FROM 
> BEING USED AFTER THE EVALUATION PERIOD ENDS. YOU MAY NOT TAMPER WITH THIS 
> DISABLING DEVICE OR THE PROGRAM. YOU SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID ANY 
> LOSS OF DATA THAT MIGHT RESULT WHEN THE PROGRAM CAN NO LONGER BE USED. 
>   *  You assign to IBM all right, title, and interest (including ownership of 
> copyright) in any data, suggestions, or written
>      materials that 1) are related to the Program and 2) You provide to IBM.
>   *  Your right to run the program "ends after 90 days."

We're not using those compilers.
We're not recommending them.
I don't even install them.
And I get your point ;)

> If the above wasn't enough, it's also against GNU project policy to
> use the mailing list or project documentation to advertise or advocate
> for proprietary software.
> 
> If the GNU compilers for the CELL aren't good enough for us, I suggest
> that we improve them.  If we just can't exploit the CELL processor without
> proprietary software and patented algorithms, then I suggest we go
> back to focusing on hosting GNU Radio on hardware that comes with freedom.

If you've got some time, please put together a script, etc that pulls
the free stuff down from the Barcelona Supercomputer Center.  That's
where it's all hosted.  Then we can point users at that script and not
at the IBM SDK site.

Here's a good starting point:  

  http://www.bsc.es/plantillaH.php?cat_id=431

FYI, the kernel and oprofile they're distributing only work on bare
metal (e.g., IBM QS20 or QS21 bladeserver), not on the hypervisored PS3.

There's currently lots of churn on the Cell kernels.  You can watch
the sausage being made on the cbe-oss-dev mailing list.  The IBM and
Sony Linux hackers are there.  https://ozlabs.org/mailman/listinfo/cbe-oss-dev

Thanks,
Eric