linux-kernel - Re: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux

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Date:	Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:21:23 -0500
From:	Pavel Roskin <proski@....org>
To:	Valdis.Kletnieks@...edu
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Jon Masters <jonathan@...masters.org>,
	Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>,
	Giridhar Pemmasani <pgiri@...oo.com>
Subject: Re: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux

On Tue, 2008-01-29 at 17:27 -0500, Valdis.Kletnieks@...edu wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:22:45 EST, Pavel Roskin said:
> > Hello!
> > 
> > It have come to my attention that a patch has been committed to the
> > kernel with the explicit purpose of tainting ndiswrapper - the kernel
> > module allowing Windows NDIS drivers for Ethernet and Wireless cards to
> > be used by the kernel.
> 
> At some point, a compromise position of "Have ndiswrapper do the tainting
> if it loads something with contentious licensing" was suggested - whatever
> happened to that?
> 
> (If for no other reason than if you load ndiswrapper for testing, and then
> do *not* actually load something, your kernel should remain untainted...)

We should distinguish kernel tainting and module tainting.  Kernel
tainting affects the stack dumps.  Module tainting affects access to
GPL-only symbols.

Kernel tainting for "ndiswrapper" is in the code already.  The patch I'm
complaining about is replacing kernel tainting with both kinds of
tainting.

Of course, ndiswrapper could taint itself as a module, but it would be a
purely symbolic act, since the module would be loaded already, and the
GPL-only symbols resolved.

-- 
Regards,
Pavel Roskin
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