Re: [Pv-drivers] [PATCH 04/10] VMCI: device driver implementaton.

Dmitry Torokhov
2012-10-25T21:23:56Z

On Thursday, October 25, 2012 02:04:48 PM Greg KH wrote:
> On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 01:45:39PM -0700, Dmitry Torokhov wrote:
> > On Thursday, October 25, 2012 01:31:48 PM Greg KH wrote:
> > > On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 01:16:00PM -0700, Andy King wrote:
> > > > Hi Greg,
> > > >
> > > > > > +EXPORT_SYMBOL(vmci_device_get);
> > > > >
> > > > > EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL() for this, and all other exports?
> > > >
> > > > We'd prefer to leave them as vanilla exports. While we're committed
> > > > to open-sourcing everything, including our non-upstreamed drivers,
> > > > we don't really have a strong opinion regarding consuming our exports
> > > > in closed-source (general GPL issues aside).
> > >
> > > You can't just say "general GPL issues aside". Honestly, given your
> > > company's prior actions in regards to Linux kernel drivers and the
> > > licenses of them, I don't trust them at all. To help gain that trust
> > > back, marking the exports in this manner will be a great improvement.
> > >
> > > To insist otherwise is to only reinforce my doubts, and reduce my
> > > wanting to even review or accept this code at all. Sorry about that.
> >
> > Huh? What are the concerns exactly? I do not really see difference between
> > EXPORT_SYMBOL() and EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(). The code either derivative of the
> > kernel or it is not and so it either falls under the kernel license or
> > not.
>
> I totally agree. In this case, do you think it falls under the kernel
> license or not?

VMCI implementation that we are submitting is GPL as witnessed by the license
notices on the source files ;)

>
> > From out perspective we do not really care what other code might use VMCI,
> > all our Linux drivers, even if not all are upstream [yet], are GPL.
>
> That's nice to hear, although without proof of that, we have to take
> your word :)

The source to Open VM Tools (which includes guest drivers that have not
been upstreamed yet) can be always found here:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/open-vm-tools/files/

and here:

git.opensource.vmware.com/opensource/open-vm-tools/

The hosted drivers are distributed in source form with the product and
here:

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/info/slug/desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_workstation/9_0#open_source

Thanks,
Dmitry

>
> thanks,
>
> greg k-h