Re: Intel PRO/100 drivers

On Tue, Feb 18, 2003 at 11:58:25AM -0600, D. Joe Anderson wrote:
> 
> Package: kernel
> 
> The eepro100 driver won't load for the Intel PRO/100 on-board NICs
> shipped recently by Dell on Optiplex 260 and Dimension 4550 desktop
> systems.  
> 
> The e100 driver, built as a loadable kernel module,  might be indicated for use here:
> 
>  http://ftp.debian.org/debian/pool/non-free/e/e100/e100_1.6.22.orig.tar.gz
> 
> Intel has released it under a modified BSD style license, but the
> Debian maintainer claims there may be patent issues over the code,
> and so include it in non-free.

This one has a GPL license and claims to work with 2.4.18:

ftp://aiedownload.intel.com/df-support/2896/eng/e100-2.1.29.tar.gz

The only place I find reference so far to patent issues are in the
web pages for the aforementioned Debian package, and in this
particular version of the driver intermediate to the two listed
above:

ftp://aiedownload.intel.com/df-support/2896/eng/e100-1.8.38.tar.gz

I'm Cc:'ing the Debian maintainer, Ard van Breeman, who perhaps might
be able to point us to some discussion (on debian-legal or elsewhere)
illuminating what, if any, patent issues are a concern with this
driver.  

Ard van Breeman, if you could help clarify this, I would appreciate
it.

Thanks,

--Joe