Re: [PATCH] Blacklist binary-only modules lying about their license

Geert Uytterhoeven
2004-04-30T09:16:36Z

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004, Timothy Miller wrote:
> Rik van Riel wrote:
> > On Wed, 28 Apr 2004, Marc Boucher wrote:
> >>At the same time, I think that the "community" should, without
> >>relinquishing its principles, be less eager before getting the facts to
> >>attack people and companies trying to help in good faith, and be more
> >>realistic when it comes to satisfying practical needs of ordinary
> >>users.
> >
> > I wouldn't be averse to changing the text the kernel prints
> > when loading a module with an incompatible license. If the
> > text "$MOD_FOO: module license '$BLAH' taints kernel." upsets
> > the users, it's easy enough to change it.
> >
> > How about the following?
> >
> > "Due to $MOD_FOO's license ($BLAH), the Linux kernel community
> > cannot resolve problems you may encounter. Please contact
> > $MODULE_VENDOR for support issues."
>
> Sounds very "politically correct", but certainly more descriptive and
> less alarming.

And I suggest not to print $MODULE_VENDOR, but `the supplier of $MOD_FOO' to
prevent people playing games with $MODULE_VENDOR (e.g. pointing it to lkml).

Gr{oetje,eeting}s,

Geert

--
Geert Uytterhoeven -- There's lots of Linux beyond ia32 -- geert@linux-m68k.org

In personal conversations with technical people, I call myself a hacker. But
when I'm talking to journalists I just say "programmer" or something like that.
-- Linus Torvalds