From: Neil Brown <neilb@suse.de>
To: "v j" <vj.linux@gmail.com>
Cc: "Randy Dunlap" <rdunlap@xenotime.net>,
"Dave Jones" <davej@redhat.com>,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: GPL vs non-GPL device drivers
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:43:18 +1100 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <17876.3862.261014.44098@notabene.brown> (raw)
In-Reply-To: message from v j on Wednesday February 14
On Wednesday February 14, vj.linux@gmail.com wrote:
> On 2/14/07, Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@xenotime.net> wrote:
> > We seem to have different definitions of open and closed.
>
> Open = 3rd party Linux drivers can be loaded. Closed = No third party
> Linux drivers can be loaded.
Loading a driver is not at issue. Anyone may load a driver.
The issue is when you *distribute* a driver.
If that driver is a derived work or the Linux kernel, then you may
only distribute it under the terms of the GPLv2, which essentially
means that you make the source code available - under the GPLv2 - to
everyone you give the driver to.
How do you know if the driver is a derived work?
Well, if it uses POSIX syscalls only, it isn't. (You can write USB
drivers in user-space which do this).
If it uses symbols exported with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL, then the author of the
code which provides those symbols thinks that the driver is a derived
work.
If it uses EXPORT_SYMBOL symbols, then it is less clear what people
believe, though there are certainly some who believe it will still
be a derived work.
But of course the person who's opinion really counts is the judge. So
you need to get legal advice.
NeilBrown
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2007-02-15 7:44 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 255+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
[not found] <9b3a62ab0702142115m4ea7d2c0m6869eb64ef3ee14e@mail.gmail.com>
2007-02-15 5:16 ` GPL vs non-GPL device drivers v j
[not found] ` <75b66ecd0702142130x64824694ieee1869d0d70ab15@mail.gmail.com>
2007-02-15 5:38 ` v j
2007-02-15 5:47 ` Trent Waddington
[not found] ` <9b3a62ab0702142214p5c33a02am7e783c59ae0a64f1@mail.gmail.com>
2007-02-15 6:16 ` v j
2007-02-15 12:45 ` Neil Horman
2007-02-15 6:35 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-15 6:46 ` v j
2007-02-15 6:56 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-15 7:32 ` Dave Jones
2007-02-15 9:44 ` Jeff Garzik
2007-02-15 10:50 ` Dave Jones
2007-02-15 14:24 ` Jan De Luyck
2007-02-15 14:37 ` Benny Amorsen
2007-02-15 14:47 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-15 17:49 ` Jan Knutar
2007-02-15 7:55 ` Neil Brown
2007-02-15 14:45 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-15 20:21 ` Chris Snook
2007-02-15 22:34 ` Jeff Garzik
2007-02-16 4:20 ` Alexandre Oliva
2007-02-15 6:11 ` Dave Jones
2007-02-15 6:27 ` v j
2007-02-15 6:43 ` Neil Brown
2007-02-15 6:55 ` v j
2007-02-15 7:02 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-15 7:09 ` v j
2007-02-15 7:18 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-15 7:30 ` Neil Brown
2007-02-15 11:52 ` Adrian Bunk
2007-02-15 7:11 ` Randy Dunlap
2007-02-15 7:28 ` v j
2007-02-15 7:43 ` Neil Brown [this message]
2007-02-15 7:53 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-15 8:11 ` Neil Brown
2007-02-15 8:35 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-15 20:56 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-15 21:51 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-16 0:38 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-16 12:53 ` Adrian Bunk
2007-02-17 2:42 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-17 8:29 ` Neil Brown
2007-02-18 2:55 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-18 3:26 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-18 6:56 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-18 7:20 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-18 8:54 ` Oleg Verych
2007-02-18 23:42 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-18 13:57 ` Theodore Tso
2007-02-18 21:16 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-18 1:26 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-18 1:28 ` David Lang
2007-02-18 1:51 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-19 17:48 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-19 20:55 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-19 21:53 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-19 22:26 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-19 22:48 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-19 22:58 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-19 23:18 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-19 23:26 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-20 0:28 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-20 0:36 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-20 0:50 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-20 0:55 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-20 0:58 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-20 1:00 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-20 7:48 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-20 8:24 ` v j
2007-02-20 9:01 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-20 1:29 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-20 5:19 ` v j
2007-02-20 10:54 ` Nick Piggin
2007-02-20 11:00 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-20 15:14 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2007-02-20 15:39 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-20 14:36 ` Helge Hafting
2007-02-20 20:30 ` Jan-Benedict Glaw
2007-02-21 12:45 ` Helge Hafting
2007-02-21 22:08 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-21 23:30 ` Nuno Silva
2007-02-22 0:26 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-21 23:34 ` David Lang
2007-02-22 0:28 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-22 1:30 ` D. Hazelton
2007-02-22 2:05 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-22 4:17 ` D. Hazelton
2007-02-22 4:24 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-22 6:12 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-22 9:28 ` Jon K Hellan
2007-02-22 16:45 ` Theodore Tso
2007-02-22 20:30 ` D. Hazelton
2007-02-25 0:59 ` Adrian Bunk
2007-02-22 14:14 ` Alan
2007-02-22 22:42 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-23 0:18 ` Alan
2007-02-23 1:12 ` Randy Dunlap
2007-02-23 1:21 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-22 14:10 ` Alan
2007-02-22 21:36 ` D. Hazelton
2007-02-22 22:28 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-25 10:42 ` Pavel Machek
2007-02-25 11:33 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-25 19:39 ` Pavel Machek
2007-02-26 0:47 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-26 1:54 ` D. Hazelton
2007-02-25 11:54 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-25 13:52 ` Alan
2007-02-25 14:21 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-25 19:10 ` Alan
2007-02-26 10:16 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-26 14:12 ` Alan
2007-02-25 22:27 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-26 10:17 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-25 20:15 ` D. Hazelton
2007-02-25 17:56 ` Stephen Clark
2007-02-19 22:47 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-15 13:09 ` Jan Engelhardt
2007-02-15 8:12 ` Nick Piggin
2007-02-15 10:01 ` Xavier Bestel
2007-02-15 10:51 ` Mohammed Gamal
2007-02-15 11:00 ` Xavier Bestel
2007-02-15 11:05 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-15 11:17 ` Dave Jones
2007-02-15 11:15 ` Dave Jones
2007-02-15 11:35 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-15 13:14 ` Jan Engelhardt
2007-02-15 14:43 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-15 16:22 ` Stuart MacDonald
2007-02-16 0:36 ` Scott Preece
2007-02-16 9:44 ` Xavier Bestel
2007-02-16 9:58 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-15 7:24 ` Dave Jones
2007-02-15 9:54 ` Xavier Bestel
2007-02-15 14:14 ` Neil Horman
2007-02-15 14:43 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-15 16:25 ` Rik van Riel
2007-02-15 16:53 ` Theodore Tso
2007-02-15 18:20 ` v j
2007-02-15 18:41 ` Josh Boyer
2007-02-16 15:34 ` Lennart Sorensen
2007-02-15 18:58 ` Xavier Bestel
2007-02-15 19:02 ` Miguel Ojeda
2007-02-16 1:12 ` Scott Preece
2007-02-16 1:14 ` David Lang
2007-02-16 5:48 ` v j
2007-02-16 5:57 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-16 6:25 ` v j
2007-02-16 6:40 ` Miguel Ojeda
2007-02-16 6:45 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-16 9:16 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-16 10:00 ` Joshua Simmons
2007-02-16 11:42 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-16 11:51 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-16 13:29 ` Joshua Simmons
2007-02-17 2:42 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-17 6:44 ` Alexandre Oliva
2007-02-17 7:26 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2007-02-16 10:35 ` Richard Knutsson
2007-02-16 17:12 ` Dave Neuer
2007-02-16 21:26 ` Scott Preece
2007-02-18 17:08 ` Pavel Machek
2007-02-17 2:42 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-17 10:46 ` Giuseppe Bilotta
2007-02-17 14:19 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-17 23:30 ` Giuseppe Bilotta
2007-02-17 23:55 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-18 9:00 ` Giuseppe Bilotta
2007-02-19 17:53 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-18 5:15 ` Alexandre Oliva
2007-02-17 22:18 ` Dave Neuer
2007-02-17 23:04 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-17 23:04 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-16 9:52 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2007-02-16 13:44 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-16 10:30 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2007-02-16 10:38 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-16 14:04 ` Neil Horman
2007-02-16 14:14 ` Jesper Juhl
2007-02-17 2:59 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-17 6:32 ` Alexandre Oliva
2007-02-17 13:27 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-17 19:29 ` Scott Preece
2007-02-17 21:15 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-19 20:31 ` Alan
2007-02-19 20:20 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-19 20:48 ` linux-os (Dick Johnson)
2007-02-19 21:50 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-19 22:12 ` Michael Dreher
2007-02-17 21:21 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-18 4:38 ` Alexandre Oliva
2007-02-16 15:40 ` Lennart Sorensen
2007-02-16 9:12 ` Xavier Bestel
2007-02-16 9:44 ` Jon K Hellan
2007-02-16 11:41 ` Jan Engelhardt
2007-02-16 6:46 ` Miguel Ojeda
2007-02-15 19:27 ` Geert Uytterhoeven
2007-02-16 1:24 ` Scott Preece
2007-02-15 22:21 ` Jeff Garzik
2007-02-16 0:04 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-16 0:37 ` Jeff Garzik
2007-02-16 2:09 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-16 2:12 ` Trent Waddington
2007-02-16 4:00 ` Alexandre Oliva
2007-02-16 5:16 ` Jeff Garzik
2007-02-16 5:57 ` Alexandre Oliva
2007-02-15 22:42 ` Gene Heskett
2007-02-16 1:48 ` Scott Preece
2007-02-17 4:03 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-17 4:19 ` Gene Heskett
[not found] ` <7b69d1470702151705h297c3b38g138eb0138b900aea@mail.gmail.com>
2007-02-16 2:00 ` v j
2007-02-16 6:07 ` Chris Friesen
2007-02-16 8:36 ` Martin Mares
2007-02-16 17:00 ` Matthew Frost
2007-02-16 17:52 ` Matthew Frost
2007-02-20 14:55 ` Helge Hafting
2007-02-16 0:10 ` Greg Trounson
2007-02-16 0:18 ` Lee Revell
2007-02-16 0:37 ` Greg Trounson
2007-02-16 1:58 ` Lee Revell
2007-02-16 0:58 ` Scott Preece
2007-02-18 16:42 ` Pavel Machek
2007-02-15 6:15 ` Neil Brown
2007-02-15 6:51 ` Gene Heskett
2007-02-15 6:23 ` Ben Nizette
2007-02-15 7:40 ` Nick Piggin
2007-02-15 20:56 ` David Schwartz
2007-02-15 21:53 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-15 22:41 ` Jeff Garzik
2007-02-15 23:20 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-15 7:36 ` Arjan van de Ven
2007-02-15 8:04 ` v j
2007-02-15 8:13 ` Arjan van de Ven
2007-02-15 8:17 ` Richard Knutsson
2007-02-15 8:40 ` v j
2007-02-15 19:36 ` Jörn Engel
2007-02-15 8:24 ` Nick Piggin
2007-02-15 11:52 ` Martin Mares
2007-02-16 4:13 ` Alexandre Oliva
2007-02-16 13:32 ` Lennart Sorensen
2007-02-15 11:54 ` Mws
2007-02-15 12:51 ` Manu Abraham
2007-02-15 14:32 ` linux-os (Dick Johnson)
2007-02-15 14:54 ` Manu Abraham
2007-02-16 8:19 ` Valdis.Kletnieks
2007-02-16 9:25 ` Bernd Petrovitsch
2007-02-16 15:33 ` Chris Friesen
2007-02-16 15:58 ` Scott Preece
2007-02-15 15:18 ` Michael K. Edwards
2007-02-15 11:06 Ihar `Philips` Filipau
[not found] <7OHci-7fx-5@gated-at.bofh.it>
[not found] ` <7OHci-7fx-3@gated-at.bofh.it>
[not found] ` <7OJnQ-24B-19@gated-at.bofh.it>
[not found] ` <7OJQP-2VO-9@gated-at.bofh.it>
2007-02-15 11:53 ` Bodo Eggert
[not found] ` <7OI8n-fp-11@gated-at.bofh.it>
[not found] ` <7OIi9-tI-11@gated-at.bofh.it>
[not found] ` <7OS7S-7tW-27@gated-at.bofh.it>
[not found] ` <7OTx3-1tH-17@gated-at.bofh.it>
2007-02-15 23:40 ` Bodo Eggert
[not found] <fa.GPbYGi2HYDPl2WlRgsq2dPbD6cM@ifi.uio.no>
[not found] ` <fa.5t0XkAtEpB2nDYFPJKUBce9BKFE@ifi.uio.no>
[not found] ` <fa.upvZMIS42lj8Tbudh1OdnbDn+Ts@ifi.uio.no>
[not found] ` <fa.821rWTmf8FgAMnDeO7b6yeUeXYg@ifi.uio.no>
[not found] ` <fa.+3hIy95KSdtolNz5kNmm6qk4FU8@ifi.uio.no>
2007-02-15 23:31 ` Robert Hancock
2007-02-16 15:29 ` linux-os (Dick Johnson)
2007-02-16 23:08 ` Robert Hancock
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2007-04-01 12:16 devzero
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