Linux RIP?

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FAT is just a tiny, pretty much insignificant part of Linux. Why would Linux RIP?

Reply to
Just Cocky

Just a tiny, rather essential bit that MS can now charge royalties for.

Reply to
Dave Houston

Essential? For what?

Reply to
Just Cocky

Essential for being able to directly read a Windows FAT formatted disk from a linux kernel. I wouldn't call this insignificant, but I would expect it to a major problem either. Any profitable Linux company these days (e.g. Red Hat) charges per seat for the operating system these days. It's a few pennies added to the cost of each seat.

But, this could hurt (but not kill) some of the more community driven efforts like CENT.

Reply to
jim.griffin

Reply to
AZ Woody

Other than the fact that the "free"/"open" linux systems may not be able to include FAT (depending on the specifics of packaging due to GPL issues and on what Microsoft does), I'm not sure what else this will impact.

Do any of the other linux file systems (ext2, ext3, etc.) infringe on the patent as well?

Since most modern windows systems use NTFS, does NTFS include FAT patented technology?

If the answers to these questions are "no", then it doesn't seem that this will make any difference.

Reply to
Mitch

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 21:25:31 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@whocares.com (Dave Houston) used recycled pixels to say:

You'll have to rip it out of my cold dead hard drive! Hell with Micro$oft!

Reply to
Someone

On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 21:25:31 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@whocares.com (Dave Houston) used recycled pixels to say:

on second thought, who cares?! Who uses FAT anymore?

Reply to
Someone

Most removable media.

Reply to
Dave Houston

IANAL, but here's the rub, the patents aren't for the FAT as much as they are for the long file names and a few other features of the new fat systems. The old FAT system isn't part of the patents mentioned. So while the long names will probably need to be removed the use of the FAT won't need to be.

Reply to
Neil Cherry

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