Re: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux

Zan Lynx
2008-01-30T05:38:20Z

Jon Masters wrote:

> I wouldn't quite say that. I wasn't going to comment, but...personally,
> I actually disagree with the assertions that ndiswrapper isn't causing
> proprietary code to link against GPL functions in the kernel (how is
> an NDIS implementation any different than a shim layer provided to
> load a graphics driver?), but I wasn't trying to make that point.

Well, as long as *any* part of the kernel ever links to proprietary
code, then GPL functions link to it in exactly the same way ndiswrapper
enables. It's only a matter of how many steps of separation.

A perfectly GPL USB network driver linked to GPL-only functions feeds
data into the kernel where it swirls about and emerges from a
proprietary network filesystem driver, for example.