NOT A [GPL License violation]

[Bruno Ducrot]

On Mon, Oct 09, 2006 at 08:53:30PM +0100, Jonathan Buzzard wrote:
> Bruno Ducrot wrote:
> 
> [SNIP]
> > 
> > I'm working on Dell's laptop support, even though I'm not
> > the one who code a tool for a fan control (and I don't
> > know if such tool under FreeBSD exist).
> > 
> > Some preminaly code can be found here:
> > 
> > http://people.FreeBSD.org/~bruno/i8kutils_bsd.tar.bz  [1]
> > http://people.FreeBSD.org/~bruno/acpi_dell.tar.gz     [2]
> > http://people.FreeBSD.org/~bruno/dellctl.tar.gz       [3]
> > 
> > For now, the 3 tar ball above have not been publically send to any
> > public list I'm aware of, because those are only priminally work.
> > 
> > For [1], people can check I haven't removed any copyright, nor I even
> > bothered adding my name.  In any case, I don't plan to add that one to
> > the base system.
> > In fact, I think to remove it from http://people.FreeBSD.org/~bruno/
> > in the near future.
> > 
> > For [2], people can check it's a really preliminary work, and is based
> > on some calls to ACPI methods under the DSDT.  Since it's a really
> > different approach taken from the driver found under Linux, it's free
> > from any GPL'ed code.
> > 
> > Finally [3] is only a userspace tool to control [2].
> > 
> > Since [2] and [3] are free from any GPL'ed codes, I consider commiting
> > them if one day they work.
> > 
> > Actually I even considered to port [2] under Linux, because this is
> > the right way to go when ACPI mode is enabled for obvious reason.
> > The io ports related to the SMM handler are shared, and ACPI take
> > care to handle an ACPI mutex before entering SMM, that at least might
> > eliminate strange cases when sometimes i8k doesn't work.
> 
> There is already a Toshiba ACPI module that does that I believe. Or at
> least it exposes a /dev/toshiba that enables you to but the laptop into
> SMM in the same was as the Toshiba/Dell drivers do.

Not exactly.  The ACPI method for the Toshiba is not the same as for the
Dell.

Toshiba use \_SB_.VALD.GHCI() method in order to access the HCI whereas
Dell use \SMI() (and other methods).  They are different and don't share
any API I'm aware of, but I may be wrong of course.

> I still use a 2.4 kernel and hence APM as I have never gotten around to
> upgrading to 2.6, as this is complicated by running an entirely LVM system.
> 
> You are however correct that ACPI is the correct way to go.

Depend.  If APM work better for you there is no reason to enable ACPI
after all.

Cheers,

-- 
Bruno Ducrot

--  Which is worse:  ignorance or apathy?
--  Don't know.  Don't care.