Re: Binary only module overview

[Dave McCracken <dmccr@us.ibm.com>]

--On Monday, September 24, 2001 19:52:13 +0000 Petr Vandrovec 
<VANDROVE@vc.cvut.cz> wrote:

>> > 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.

As a couple of people pointed out privately to me, I was mistaken.  VMware 
does include the complete source to its drivers.

A quick check of the file headers shows a VMware copyright with no mention 
of GPL.  Granted, that's not definitive, but it's a data point.

Dave McCracken

=====================================================================
Dave McCracken          IBM Linux Base Kernel Team      1-512-838-3059
dmccr@us.ibm.com                                        T/L   678-3059