Real Quietly Releases More Code as Open Source

AlexJeff writes "Yesterday Real open sourced the server source code of its Network Optimized FileSystem (Asynchronous FileSystem). Actually it "dual-licensed" it under its open source (RPSL) and commercial licenses. According to a posting on the Helix Community, the Asynchronous FileSystem provides asynchronous access to the OS file-system and is mainly used to help resolve timing issues with Network File System(NFS). This functionality provides improvement capacity in 'Helix DNA-powered servers, especially on frameworks that use Network File System.'"

Quiety

[NitsujTPU]

Real Quietly Releases More Code as Open Source

People sure do like noting how things are done "quietly" around here.

Since it's from Real, it probably is actually part of some horrific conspiracy, right?

Is this a smart move?

[zappepcs]

Is this a smart move, considering that MS is having to rip out its player from the EU version of Windows?

Maybe I'm just talking out of my @ss, but now would be the time for compeititors to make their move to start taking market share from MS that belonged to Ms by default via the free player?

Just a thought. I wonder how many more companies will make a play for that market share?

Re:Is this a smart move?

[NitsujTPU]

I don't think that this has a whole lot to do with that.

Real making a play on that would be more like a super feature-rich player, with marketing directed straight in the faces of EU customers.

Re:Is this a smart move?

[Anonymous Coward]

A tweaked version of NFS has very litte relationship to what media player your Winbox ships with.

What are you trying to say, and how?

[Potor]

You're not serious, are you?

First of all, the stripped down version is only in Europe, which is a saturated market anyway.

Second, most pc makers won't use the new version [pcworld.com].

Third, XP is a very mature product, and MS is clearly looking beyond it.

Fourth, how could this code release impede their ability to increase market share? Could not it also help it? Please provide an argument.

cheers, potor

Helixcommunity

[tcopeland]

...is the largest public GForge server in the world [gforge.org].

There's a picture of their server rack as of a year or so ago right here [gforge.org].

Re:Helixcommunity

[ldspartan]

Anyone know what kind of 1U machines / enclosures those are? They look inexpensive and decent, which is awesome :).

--
lds

Real: the unsung hero of the open source world?

[CyricZ]

Real has proven time and time again that they're the unsung hero of the open source movement. While companies like Sun promise to open their software time and time again (thankfully they actually do), and then others like Borland release theirs but quickly make it proprietary again, Real has proven they are serious. They release a massive amount of code back to the community, but never earn the respect that other companies do. That's why I'd just like to give a big Thanks! to real, for all they have given to the open source community.

Re:Real: the unsung hero of the open source world?

[CyricZ]

LOL, I think you made a typo. You probably meant to say "source", not "sores". Next time you should try to use the Slashdot spellchecker.

Heroes? Nah, that's going to far.

[ahfoo]

They're betting on open source like a whole lot of other companies which is great. But I would strongly argue that it is unjustified and even far-fetched to call Real Networks the heroes of the Open Source community. And it would be completely false to say that they're even friends with the free software movement.
Real is first and foremost about closed proprietary protocols which are a form of DRM. That has been the core of their business from the beginning and still is and there is no reason yet to ex

Re:Heroes? Nah, that's going to far.

[sploxx]

I have to support your argument, as real networks releases the player and all major functionality as FOSS (maybe to drag the 'free' programmers into doing free support and coding for it?) but still keeps the core, i.e. codecs closed.

A company with a strong pro-DRM mission gets the support of many FOSS people - simply by doing clever marketing. This is sad.

Re:Heroes? Nah, that's going to far.

[aminorex]

So, if someone has 100 dollars, and gives you 95,
you're pissed at him for keeping 5?

Re:Heroes? Nah, that's going to far.

[cratermoon]

More like, if somone gives me a brand new mansion, but keeps the key (and all the doors and windows are locked), well gee. Thanks for nothing.

What is this?

[__aaclcg7560]

Neither the /. summary nor the article itself explains what this technology is and how or what to use it for. Beside being "Real" technology, why should I be interested in it?

Oh, yeah, it's real quiet here. I got a bad feeling about this.

Re:What is this?

[bill_mcgonigle]

Good question -the project page doesn't say either.

From the context clues, I'll take a guess - NFS performance is OK if you use the async mount option. But then you risk data loss. The Linux NFS devs tell you never to use async mode. So you use sync mode and then the performance sucks (3.5x slower in the tests I did a few years back).

So maybe this provides a safe async filesystem. That would be nice, especially if it's easier to setup than OpenAFS.

Still it would be helpful if they had a WTF page. Ma

Am I the only one...

[zmcgrew]

I know it's early here (~7:30AM) but am I the only one who read it as:
Real Quietly Releases Morse Code
And I'm thinking, how in the hell is Morse code quiet?!?!

Re:Am I the only one...

[Aaron Pannell]

Why, when you send it via an aldis lamp [eaelec.com] of course.

Yawn

[metamatic]

Wake me when they start allowing people to convert RealAudio and RealVideo into other formats.

(Last time I checked, their license still prohibited that.)