The M-Systems' DiskOnChip chip-level Flash “drive” has essentially become the de facto standard “solid state disk” used in many kinds of embedded systems. The trouble is, M-Systems does not make their highly sophisticated Flash management firmware for the DiskOnChip available in source form. The result: you can't use the DiskOnChip to boot Linux. Right?

Wrong! FirePlug Computers, Inc. believes they have come up with a way to take advantage of the M-Systems proprietary (non-GPL) DiskOnChip software, to boot and run Linux out of a DiskOnChip, that doesn't violate the rules of GPL. Their approach is described in a discussion thread on the LinuxDevices.com Embedded Linux Forum, in the Embedded Linux FAQ area. Take a look in the thread entitled “DiskOnChip support source?”

 
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