Rockbox General > Rockbox General Discussion

RB use Manufacturer's Firmware?

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jjefferies:
Does RB use the manufacturer's firmware at any point? I'm running a Sansa Fuze 8 gig V2 and was looking at increasing the sdhc card size. I believe Sansa claims that it can handle up to 32 gigs. There have been issues with some 32 gig sdhc cards and I'm wondering if upgrading the manufacturer's firmware would be a solution or does RB use only its own code?

In a like vein with the Sansa is the maximum sdhc card size determined by the firmware or the hardware?

thanks.
J.

saratoga:

--- Quote from: jjefferies on March 15, 2011, 10:59:25 PM ---Does RB use the manufacturer's firmware at any point?

--- End quote ---

No.  We're a GPL firmware, we can't use any non-GPL software.


--- Quote from: jjefferies on March 15, 2011, 10:59:25 PM ---I'm wondering if upgrading the manufacturer's firmware would be a solution or does RB use only its own code? 

--- End quote ---

Upgrading the OF updates the OF.  Upgrading Rockbox updates Rockbox.  Theres no connection between the two.

jjefferies:


--- Quote from: jjefferies on March 15, 2011, 10:59:25 PM ---Does RB use the manufacturer's firmware at any point?

--- End quote ---

--- Quote from: saratoga on March 15, 2011, 11:04:51 PM ---No.  We're a GPL firmware, we can't use any non-GPL software.

--- End quote ---

Not sure that the word "can't" is makes sense. I know of a number of non-GPL products which use GPL code primarily as loadable libraries and I would assume that GPL code could likewise use non-GPL code as long as the entry points were known. So I would say the word "don't" is more appropriate.

But my last question is what determines the size of the sdhc card that can be used? Or is there a single limitation imposed by either hardware or firmware?

J.

saratoga:

--- Quote from: jjefferies on March 16, 2011, 02:54:51 AM ---
Not sure that the word "can't" is makes sense. I know of a number of non-GPL products which use GPL code primarily as loadable libraries
--- End quote ---

Everything in rockbox runs within a single process in a unified memory space.  We don't have the ability to side step the GPL like PC applications can.


--- Quote from: jjefferies on March 16, 2011, 02:54:51 AM --- I would assume that GPL code could likewise use non-GPL code as long as the entry points were known.

--- End quote ---

Just because the entry points are known doesn't mean you can ignore license terms.  Generally when applications use GPL software without being GPL (e.g. lame), they do so by running a GPL program and then capturing its output.


--- Quote from: jjefferies on March 16, 2011, 02:54:51 AM ---But my last question is what determines the size of the sdhc card that can be used? Or is there a single limitation imposed by either hardware or firmware?
--- End quote ---

The SDHC driver determines if a card works or not.

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