Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1751127AbWCHVy7 (ORCPT ); Wed, 8 Mar 2006 16:54:59 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1751228AbWCHVy7 (ORCPT ); Wed, 8 Mar 2006 16:54:59 -0500 Received: from host1.compusonic.fi ([195.238.198.242]:17945 "EHLO minor.compusonic.fi") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751127AbWCHVy6 (ORCPT ); Wed, 8 Mar 2006 16:54:58 -0500 Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 23:54:01 +0200 (EET) From: Hannu Savolainen X-X-Sender: hannu@zeus.compusonic.fi To: Dave Neuer Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [future of drivers?] a proposal for binary drivers. In-Reply-To: <161717d50603080659t53462cd0k53969c0d33e06321@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: References: <20060308102731.GO27946@ftp.linux.org.uk> <161717d50603080659t53462cd0k53969c0d33e06321@mail.gmail.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1748 Lines: 37 On Wed, 8 Mar 2006, Dave Neuer wrote: > What is linux-specific in this context is that many people, like > myself, who have contributed code to the kernel under the GPL *don't > want* their code to be used in non-free software, period. Someone who > wants to leverage my work needs to do it under the terms that I allow. > That is the law. Whining is not going to change my mind. > > If a company thinks they can make money selling hardware with > closed-source drivers (on some other OS), more power to them. If a > company thinks they can make money selling hardware with open-source > drivers on Linux and want to leverage my work, more power to them > (I'll even help them). But they can't use my work and not release the > code. You are mixing two different things. Binary driver is not the same thing as binary-only driver. Being binary means just that the driver is distributed as a precompiled module. However the driver may still be open sourced (under GPL or whatever license you like). The full source code may be shipped with the installable binary or be distributed in some other way for users who want to compile it themselves. In fact all Linux distributions ship binary drivers. The user can install the kernel/driver sources but most "ordinary" users don't install them. Best regards, Hannu ----- Hannu Savolainen (hannu@opensound.com) http://www.opensound.com (Open Sound System (OSS)) http://www.compusonic.fi (Finnish OSS pages) OH2GLH QTH: Karkkila, Finland LOC: KP20CM - 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/