Questions about my idea (for gsoc)

[Cindy-Sue Causey]

On 4/1/19, Valdis Klētnieks <valdis.kletnieks at vt.edu> wrote:
> On Mon, 01 Apr 2019 18:19:12 +0200, Andrea Laisa said:
>
>> My idea is to write a Linux driver for a proprietary network protocol
>> used by the outdoor Gemtek antennas(which are essentially a LTE modem)
>
> This may be a legal mine field.  To create a *usable* Linux driver, you'll
> need
> to have one that's free of licensing restrictions.  If Gemtek claims one or
> more patents on the protocol, you may be unable to implement the protocol
> without dealing with the licensing issues.
>
> And I'm reasonably sure that Gemtek won't be too interested in helping you
> write the driver, because its existence would cut into their sales of access
> points.


I was thinking possibly pretty much the same thing. The
hcfmodem/hsfmodem dialup modem family is what comes to mind. I'm
online right this second k/t Puppy Linux. If it wasn't for their old
Wary5.5, I'd probably still be offline fighting trying to get
something working... and that's after YEARS of experience attempting
exactly that. :)

Yes, I know... Maybe Gemtek would say, "SURE, we'll help you (take
money out of our pockets)." If they don't, it could possibly just
evolve into another hsfmodem kind of deal. That has always sounded
like it generated a lot of static from both sides, the users and the
proprietary owners, with the Developers out there in the middle.

Things have FINALLY lightened up these many years later. I assume
that's likely only because there are comparatively few of us on dialup
now, e.g. my local hometown provider occasionally hints that mine
might be *almost* the only dialup account they serve. They once
confessed that "my" server gets completely forgotten while it sits off
in a corner somewhere. :)

In a way, this Gemtek thing sounds like there might be a WHOLE lot
more money at stake than there was with old $10, $20, even $50 dialup
modems. That would certainly amplify any potentially anticipated
opposition in a case like this.

Cindy :)
-- 
* runs with birdseed *