linux-kernel - Re: incorrect taint of ndiswrapper

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Date:	Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:36:21 -0600
From:	Zan Lynx <zlynx@....org>
To:	Alan Cox <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>
Cc:	Linux Kernel <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Giridhar Pemmasani <pgiri@...oo.com>
Subject: Re: incorrect taint of ndiswrapper

On Mon, 2006-10-23 at 11:41 +0100, Alan Cox wrote:
> Ar Sul, 2006-10-22 am 22:41 -0700, ysgrifennodd Giridhar Pemmasani:
> > Note that when a driver is loaded, ndiswrapper does taint the kernel (to be
> > more accurate, it should check if the driver being loaded is GPL or not, but
> > that is not done).
> 
> However by then it has already dynamically linked with explicit GPLONLY
> symbols so it cannot then load a binary windows driver but should unload
> itself or refuse to load anything but the GPL ndis drivers (of which
> afaik only one exists), and even then they expect an environment
> incompatible with the Linux kernel.

The kernel itself links GPL code to non-GPL via the Posix API (the
syscall layer).  The kernel also links GPL code to non-GPL via the PCI
layer (all that proprietary firmware on the other side).  The
ndiswrapper links GPL code to non-GPL via the NDIS API.

No difference, really.  Implementing a well-defined interface
abstraction layer doesn't make either side of it derived from the other.
(Exactly how well-defined, how abstract, and how derived are all
arguments for the lawyers.)
-- 
Zan Lynx <zlynx@....org>

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