Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S262403AbTIOA2Z (ORCPT ); Sun, 14 Sep 2003 20:28:25 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262405AbTIOA2Z (ORCPT ); Sun, 14 Sep 2003 20:28:25 -0400 Received: from tench.street-vision.com ([212.18.235.100]:12441 "EHLO tench.street-vision.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S262403AbTIOA2Y (ORCPT ); Sun, 14 Sep 2003 20:28:24 -0400 Subject: Re: freed_symbols [Re: People, not GPL [was: Re: Driver Model]] From: Justin Cormack To: hps@intermeta.de Cc: Kernel mailing list In-Reply-To: References: <20030914043716.GA19223@codepoet.org> Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.0.8 (1.0.8-11) Date: 15 Sep 2003 01:27:49 +0100 Message-Id: <1063585669.3099.120.camel@lotte.street-vision.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1637 Lines: 37 On Mon, 2003-09-15 at 01:16, Henning P. Schmiedehausen wrote: > Andre Hedrick writes: > > > >It is coming and the intent is to return all the stolen symbols. > >It is free for anyone to use and enjoy the usage of Linux once again. > >So everyone get in line and SUE ME for GPL'ed drivers. > > [... module code that would re-export GPL-marked symbols as non-GPL-marked snipped ...] > > Well, > > generally speaking, you're of course right. You're simply using the > loophole of Linus' agreement to binary only modules to use a fully > GPL'ed module (which might use the _GPL symbols), then consider the > aggregation to be under GPL (IMHO correct) and then consider this > aggregation of kernel and your module to be still covered by Linus' > agreement (don't know whether this is true. You might want to actually > ask Linus himself... ;-) ) actually (not that I was following the thread too closely) I thought the GPL point in the dispute came down to the fact that as the kernel is under GPL, you can change the export_symbols anywhere you like (under the GPL) so you can export anything to a binary module. To really enforce export to GPL only would be simple, you have the file that exports symbols not under the GPL (and probably the loader to really enforce it). Writing the license for that file/file loader combination would be hard but maybe doable... - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/