[OpenIndiana-discuss] BTRFS for OI, anyone?

[James Carlson]

Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk wrote:
>> Would BTRFS be a viable FS for Openindiana?
> 
> btrfs is licensed under GPL, OpenIndiana mostly under CDDL, so that's a hard nut to crack. The harder one is still "who wants btrfs when you've got ZFS"

One good reason to do it would be to help users migrate from Linux to
OpenIndiana without losing data.  Another would be to help out those
users who have multi-boot systems with both Linux and OpenIndiana, and
who don't want to resort to DOS file system hacks.  Still another would
be to enable folks to build useful appliances with OpenIndiana --
consider the various Linux-based "rescue CDs" that allow you to boot up
a mini Linux on CD and read foreign file systems.

Just about any reasoning that applies to NTFS or another foreign file
system applies as well to btrfs.

As for the GPLv2, it's an interesting question, but I doubt it's
actually a problem.  The license clearly calls out "identifiable
sections" and "mere aggregation" as exceptions in section (2) and that
redistribution of any btrfs changes doesn't require inclusion of normal
parts of the system in section (3).

I know that corporate lawyers tend to fear, distrust, and generally
loathe the GPL, which is why no GPL'd stuff ended up in the kernel when
Sun was in charge.  As a completely artificial distinction, tons of
GPL'd code appeared in user space, and was used in key parts of the system.

I guess if the general consensus is to keep the (in my opinion
irrational) fear alive, distributing btrfs as a separate package from
the core system would be more than enough fig leaf.

-- 
James Carlson         42.703N 71.076W         <carlsonj at workingcode.com>