Re: Can't use SYSFS for "Proprietry" driver modules !!!.

Manfred Spraul
2005-03-27T07:41:07Z

Lee wrote:

>> What ever gave you the impression that it was legal to create a
>> "Proprietry" kernel driver for Linux in the first place.
>
>The fact that Nvidia and ATI get away with it?
>
>
>
The didn't write a Linux driver. They have multi-platform drivers that
work among other OS on Linux, too.
E.g. the Nvidia binary ethernet driver can be used on both Linux and
FreeBSD, and I've heard that the .o file contains Windows specific
functions, thus it appears that Nvidia compiles the driver for all three
OS from one common code base.
At least for me, such a driver cannot be considered to be derived from
Linux, thus a non-GPL license is ok.
OTHO a driver that was written for Linux is in my opinion derived from
Linux and thus the GPL is mandatory.

Just speaking for myself,
--
Manfred