okvm

FAQ

Q. What is the status of the okvm project ?

A. There is ongoing devlopment of the open source console manager software. However this builds no longer targets a generic x86 PC with multiport card hardware platform. All work on the KVM over IP hardware and software has stopped.

Q. Why is the okvm project being developed?

A. The okvm developers saw the need for a truly open source software + hardware solution to drastically reduce the cost to the user of implementing remote console and KVM solutions.

While most commercial suppliers of KVM and console solutions today build their products on a linux base, this industry remains unhealthily proprietary. With some exceptions, there's been little returned into the open source pool, and few of the rich benefits of linux and GPL have been passed thru to the users.

So we spec'd the okvm project to deliver technology that would enable developers and managers, at minimum cost, to add KVM over IP and console management features to their own servers, and to freely develop their own KVM appliances. Our belief was (and is) that okvm can extend the KVM and console management frontier way beyond the enterprise data center. Traditionally KVM has been confined to data centers. But with affordable open sourced solutions, we foresee users managing distributed computers and appliances in a myriads of remote and replicated sites.

Q. What are the licenses and copy restrictions for okvm PCI card?

A. The okvm developers see the need for a truly open source hardware to support the okvm software solution, so there's no license constraints on the okvm PCI hardware design. The design is provided without any warrants, and without any restrictions on its use.

More info on the open source hardware philosophy behind okvm can be found in this recent Linuxworld Opensource Hardware article, and from the following sites:

• OpenCores - www.opencores.org
  OpenCores.org hosts lot of open hardware designs, though the emphasis is on FPGAs.
• Open Collector - www.opencollector.org
  Open Collector is a data base of links to most of open hardware designs and tools from all over the world.
• Open Hardware - www.openhardware.de
  The Open source Hardware project is intended to bring the “open source feeling“ to the hardware realms. At this point of time it does not have many projects being developed under its banner.