FreeBSD inquire

[Graham Todd]

gaak - just realized I am way OT here.

Sorry

Graham Todd wrote:
> Henrik Brix Andersen wrote:
>> On Tue, Sep 12, 2006 at 02:44:49PM -0400, Michael Butler wrote:
>>> Is this as a consequence of the manufacturers paranoia that open-source
>>> developers won't comply with wifi regulatory requirements (i.e. channel
>>> and power restrictions by country) or some other reason? (not that you
>>> can't just plug in any other card into the pcmcia slot ..),
>> It's not manufacturers paranoia - it a requirement from the FCC (among
>> others) that radio control must not take place in user-accessible
>> software.
> 
> How does the FCC define a "user" I wonder?  Is there a difference
> between the "user" of software installed on a laptop and the user of the
> included hardware and radio equipment that develops said software.
> 
> Does someone who writes a loadable kernel module that accesses radio
> hardware so that "user" applications can access the Internet have to
> assure the regulator of compliance in some way?
> 
> It seems like an engineer to engineer sort of matter that might require
> lawyer to lawyer interaction :-\


-- 
Graham Todd - bellanet.org
613.236.6163 #2443