From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Mon, 24 Sep 2001 13:52:26 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Mon, 24 Sep 2001 13:52:18 -0400 Received: from zikova.cvut.cz ([147.32.235.100]:4365 "EHLO zikova.cvut.cz") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Mon, 24 Sep 2001 13:52:12 -0400 From: "Petr Vandrovec" Organization: CC CTU Prague To: Dave McCracken Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 19:52:13 MET-1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: Binary only module overview CC: Arjan van de Ven , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org X-mailer: Pegasus Mail v3.40 Message-ID: <46458FB0D75@vcnet.vc.cvut.cz> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On 24 Sep 01 at 12:24, Dave McCracken wrote: > >> IIRC, vmware includes one or more kernel modules. > >> > >> Rasmus > >> > > Yes, but the modules are not binary-only. > > The sourcecode is in the package, although it is not GPL. > > I believe they only provide source for an interface layer that can be > compiled against a specific version of the kernel. I think the core > drivers are binary only. VMnet and VMppuser drivers are completely standalone and can work without VMware. You can persuade VMmon module to load and execute arbitrary code on kernel level - it just provides virtual machine environment (switches CPU context), but as it even does not link to anything else, I do not see any problem here. DRI drivers also allows you to smash arbitrary piece of memory... As for license on these modules - I was under impression that they are under GPL, but I'll ask VMware for clarification. Best regards, Petr Vandrovec vandrove@vc.cvut.cz