From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S261657AbVGFJFu (ORCPT ); Wed, 6 Jul 2005 05:05:50 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S262187AbVGFJFt (ORCPT ); Wed, 6 Jul 2005 05:05:49 -0400 Received: from mail.kroah.org ([69.55.234.183]:33413 "EHLO perch.kroah.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S261657AbVGFHND (ORCPT ); Wed, 6 Jul 2005 03:13:03 -0400 Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 22:26:23 -0700 From: Greg KH To: Michal Jaegermann Cc: Zan Lynx , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: A "new driver model" and EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL question Message-ID: <20050706052623.GA9881@kroah.com> References: <20050703171202.A7210@mail.harddata.com> <20050704054441.GA19936@kroah.com> <1120600243.27600.75.camel@localhost> <20050705215739.GA2635@kroah.com> <20050705223743.A28905@mail.harddata.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20050705223743.A28905@mail.harddata.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.8i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Tue, Jul 05, 2005 at 10:37:43PM -0600, Michal Jaegermann wrote: > On Tue, Jul 05, 2005 at 02:57:40PM -0700, Greg KH wrote: > > On Tue, Jul 05, 2005 at 03:50:43PM -0600, Zan Lynx wrote: > > > Sourced from here: > > > http://hulllug.principalhosting.net/archive/index.php/t-52440.html > > > > No, that is not the same topic or thread. > > Formally you are correct but from my POV this sounds casuistic and > fit for a patent lawyer. You must have have dealt with many patent lawyers. I have, and they operate in a league of their own on how to intrepret the english language in patent claims :) > You were "recently advised not to change > these symbols" and you stated that you will not. So instead you did > an end run and you removed an old interface and introduced a > replacement; but this time with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL - which has the > same effect as what you told you will not do. I was "advised" to not do so, until the parties that were complaining about the change, had time to convert their code. They then did so, and so, a number of MONTHS later, I did a rewrite of the code, which caused me to create new functions and delete old, non-used functions. Those new functions were marked with the EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL mark, as ALL of the driver core functions are. This change had lived in the -mm tree for a number of months now, with no objections. > > If you know of any closed source code, using those functions, please put > > them in contact with me. > > Well, I gave an example in my original question. Yes, I asked them > to contact you. If they will do that I have no idea. Thanks for doing so. greg k-h