I'm sorry [it was: Nazi Kernels]

I'm sorry [it was: Nazi Kernels]

[lobo]

Hi again!

I'm sorry for my last post. It was very stupid, but it was written
without any thinking. I respect You, and Your work, so I meant no
offense to You, but I know, that my last post, was very aggresive.
I'm sorry again, and I will try to think twice before I write any
post like last.

Now after this introduction, I try to explain whats my problem with
the new driver policy. When I try to load NVdriver to the kernel
2.1.14, the modprobe (modutils 2.4.10) writes following line
"Note: modules without a GPL compatible license cannot use \
GPLONLY_ symbols". It's Your decision, but in My opinion, its not
the right way. I'm affraid, that this doesn't change the hardware
manufacters opinions about the binary distributions of the drivers,
so they copy or write this functions, and the only effect for end
user will be more memory consumption (I know that memory is cheap
today). I think in the future this may be the right way, but today
it's to early for that step.

Best Regards
Przemek

PS. Sorry for my english, it's not my native language.

Re: I'm sorry [it was: Nazi Kernels]

[Alan Cox]

> "Note: modules without a GPL compatible license cannot use \
> GPLONLY_ symbols". It's Your decision, but in My opinion, its not
> the right way. I'm affraid, that this doesn't change the hardware
> manufacters opinions about the binary distributions of the drivers,
> so they copy or write this functions, and the only effect for end
> user will be more memory consumption (I know that memory is cheap
> today). I think in the future this may be the right way, but today
> it's to early for that step.

GPLONLY is used for symbols that are part of an object rather than core
interface ABI's. Its to help assist in reminding vendors not to accidentally
create derivative works that might be license violations. It doesnt actually
change the rules one iota

And I'd worry a lot more about binary only unmaintainable code than size

Re: I'm sorry [it was: Nazi Kernels]

[Keith Owens]

On Tue, 13 Nov 2001 02:48:06 +0100, 
lobo@polbox.com wrote:
>Now after this introduction, I try to explain whats my problem with
>the new driver policy. When I try to load NVdriver to the kernel
>2.1.14, the modprobe (modutils 2.4.10) writes following line
>"Note: modules without a GPL compatible license cannot use \
>GPLONLY_ symbols".

If you had given the error message the first time instead of
complaining about Nazi kernels then you would have got a decent
response!

insmod issues that message when two conditions are both satisfied:

(1) The module has unresolved references *and*
(2) The module does not have a GPL license.

modprobe does not check if the unresolved references are exported as
GPLONLY or not, the message is jsut a hint about why the load /might/
have failed.  I should change the insmod text to make it more explicit
that this is only a possible explanation.

Since kernel 2.4.14 does not have any GPLONLY exports, your problem is
not that the kernel is restricting access to symbols.  Instead your
problem is that the binary only NVdriver does not match your kernel.
Ask NVidia for help.

Keith [Not a Nazi] Owens, modutils maintainer.

Re: I'm sorry [it was: Nazi Kernels]

[Jim Roland]

Part of what might be your problem is the kernel version you're on.  The
drivers are written as a module for kernel version 2.4.x (and maybe 2.2.x,
but I'm not sure about 2.2.x).  Remember, kernel versions with an odd number
in the 2nd place holder (eg, 2.1.x, 2.3.x) are considered "test" or "beta"
kernels.  If you can't go to 2.4, try 2.2 and recompile the sources if a
binary is not provided.  My memory may be failing, but I think I remember
running my GeForce2 with NVidia provided drivers under 2.2 compiled from
sources.  I use the 2.4 drivers right now and all works fine.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Roland, RHCE (RedHat Certified Engineer)
Owner, Roland Internet Services
     "The four surefire rules for success:  Show up, Pay attention, Ask
questions, Don't quit."
        --Rob Gilbert, PH.D.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

----- Original Message -----
From: <lobo@polbox.com>
To: <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 7:48 PM
Subject: I'm sorry [it was: Nazi Kernels]


> Hi again!
>
> I'm sorry for my last post. It was very stupid, but it was written
> without any thinking. I respect You, and Your work, so I meant no
> offense to You, but I know, that my last post, was very aggresive.
> I'm sorry again, and I will try to think twice before I write any
> post like last.
>
> Now after this introduction, I try to explain whats my problem with
> the new driver policy. When I try to load NVdriver to the kernel
> 2.1.14, the modprobe (modutils 2.4.10) writes following line
> "Note: modules without a GPL compatible license cannot use \
> GPLONLY_ symbols". It's Your decision, but in My opinion, its not
> the right way. I'm affraid, that this doesn't change the hardware
> manufacters opinions about the binary distributions of the drivers,
> so they copy or write this functions, and the only effect for end
> user will be more memory consumption (I know that memory is cheap
> today). I think in the future this may be the right way, but today
> it's to early for that step.
>
> Best Regards
> Przemek
>
> PS. Sorry for my english, it's not my native language.
>
> -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/
>