ASUS sorts out Eee PC Linux license issues
updated 02:55 pm EST, Wed November 28, 2007
ASUS Eee PC GPL Solved
ASUS today resolved a controversy over the Linux licensing for its its Eee PC, bringing the 7-inch notebook back into line with its open-source roots. The Taiwan company earlier this month was accused of violating the General Public License (GPL) that forms the heart of Linux by failing to publish code for the system's unique power management; this omission is a mistake, ASUS says. In exchange, the company has updated its download section to include the extra code as well as extra features of the Eee's custom Linux distribution.
The move both prevents legal action against ASUS for violating the license and opens the door to companies and users who want to use the Eee's features themselves: portables using the same parts as the Eee can use its power-saving features, while users can also install other variants of Linux knowing they will support the same feature set. The download is currently free.
