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

Greg KH
2005-03-27T03:21:30Z

On Sat, Mar 26, 2005 at 08:04:40PM -0500, Lee Revell wrote:
> On Sat, 2005-03-26 at 16:48 -0800, Greg KH wrote:
> > On Sat, Mar 26, 2005 at 03:34:34PM -0500, Lee Revell wrote:
> > > On Sat, 2005-03-26 at 10:28 -0800, Greg KH wrote:
> > > > On Sat, Mar 26, 2005 at 05:52:20PM +0000, Mark Fortescue wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I am writing a "Proprietry" driver module for a "Proprietry" PCI card and
> > > > > I have found that I can't use SYSFS on Linux-2.6.10.
> > > > >
> > > > > Why ?.
> > > >
> > > > 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?
> >
> > So, the fact that someone else is doing something illegal, makes it
> > acceptable for you to do the same thing? Please, talk to a lawyer about
> > this issue if you have _any_ questions.
> >
>
> Well, I never said I agreed with it. But the fact that major vendors do
> it flagrantly might lead someone to think it's not illegal. Why doesn't
> anyone do anything? Afraid they'll drop Linux support rather than find
> a way to open their drivers?

Probably just because no one has gotten around to sueing them just yet.
It's only a matter of time...

And no, I don't think anyone is "afraid" at all, that's just silly.

> Anyway, this is news to me. How about putting it in the FAQ? Too
> politically charged?

Why does it need to be in the FAQ, when the file COPYING in the main
kernel directory explicitly spells this out?

thanks,

greg k-h