Messages in this thread | ![/](/images/icornerl.gif) | | From | (bill davidsen) | Subject | Re: Linux GPL and binary module exception clause? | Date | 9 Dec 2003 20:47:58 GMT |
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In article <1070979148.16262.63.camel@oktoberfest>, Dale Whitchurch <dalew@sealevel.com> wrote: | A question for this thread: | | Is the GPL in effect for the kernel so that anybody can enhance the | current drivers and add support for any other device? If two companies | develop competing products and those products (albeit a few slight | differences) perform the same operations using almost the same hardware, | do we want one company to use the others driver?
If company A writes a driver which is not GPL it doesn't concern the Open Source community. Not even if it's open source but proprietary. Yes, dual license exists, I don't think that changes things here.
If company A writes a GPL driver company B may modify it as long as they release source.
If company B offered the modified driver for kernel inclusion, there's a high probability one of the penguins would tell them to fold the changes into the original module and make it dual-purpose (unless there were a LOT of changes).
Company B could decline and ship the GPL driver with their hardware, source and a binary loadable module included. Given the hassle factor I bet they wouldn't. Nvadia must be really tired of getting every problem related to a tainted kernel.
| In another sense, does the kernel evolve to reflect this? If the | overall driver acts the same minus a few hardware differences, does the | kernel source change by abstracting the similarities and allow both | companies to write the device specific code? Does it instead say that | both cards must have independent source code? Or do we only allow the | first driver into the source tree?
Once GPL'd the choices are clear, it could be separate or added functionality on a technical basis, no need for one policy to fit all. | | There are no evil overtones in this email, nor any disgruntled developer | feelings. I am just reading at this thread and asking myself, "Is the | overall goal for everyone to get along?" | | Dale Whitchurch | | - | 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/ |
-- bill davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com> CTO, TMR Associates, Inc Doing interesting things with little computers since 1979. - 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/
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