Re: Using GPL'd Linux drivers with non-GPL, binary-only kernel

[Pavel Machek <pavel@ucw.cz>]

Hi!

> 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?
> 
> I realise that linking the modules directly with the binary kernel is
> a big no no, but what if they are dynamically loaded?
> 
> 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.  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.
> 
> 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.  We could even modularise parts of the kernel which aren't
> modular now, so that we could take advantage of even more parts of Linux.
> 
> What do you think?

If you can make those drivers in your userspace, its certainly okay...

								Pavel

-- 
When do you have a heart between your knees?
[Johanka's followup: and *two* hearts?]