Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: Using GPL'd Linux drivers with non-GPL, binary-only kernel | From | Krzysztof Halasa <> | Date | 08 May 2003 13:11:00 +0200 |
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Jamie Lokier <jamie@shareable.org> writes:
> I was mulling over a commercial project proposal, and this question > came up: > > What's the position of kernel developers towards using the GPL'd Linux > kernel modules - that is, device drivers, network stack, filesystems > etc. - with a binary-only, closed source kernel that is written > independently of Linux?
IANAL, but Linux drivers are usually licensed under the GPL and not LGPL. > > I realise that linking the modules directly with the binary kernel is > a big no no, but what if they are dynamically loaded?
You mean one big file versus many small fragments? I don't think there is a difference. LGPL would permit that (in fact, it seems to be the difference between GPL and LGPL).
> There seems to be a broad agreement, and I realise it isn't unanimous, > that dynamically loading binary-only modules into the Linux kernel is > ok.
That's different, the modules are not (generally) derivatives of the kernel. The (running) kernel is a derivative of both the GPL code and binary drivers (all parts are linked at run time) - and while you can't distribute such a beast at all, you usually don't want to. (which makes me wonder if "distributing" a running machine with binary drivers linked to the kernel is legal :-) )
> Furthermore, there are some funny rules about which interfaces a > binary-only module may use and which it may not, before it's > considered a derivative work of the kernel.
IMHO it's independent problem, not related to the license, but rather to source code symbol names (a technical and not legal issue - something like copy-protection mechanisms).
> So, as dynamic loading is ok between parts of Linux and binary-only > code, that seems to imply we could build a totally different kind of > binary-only kernel which was able to make use of all the Linux kernel > modules.
Build - sure. However, distributing such a system (with GPLed parts) would be illegal, unless the GPLed code is not a part of the system, and rather an "independent and separate work" (i.e. the system does not "depend" on GPL part). -- Krzysztof Halasa Network Administrator - 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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