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

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Message-ID: <47A00D43.60602@acm.org>
Date:	Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:38:11 -0700
From:	Zan Lynx <zlynx@....org>
To:	Jon Masters <jonathan@...masters.org>
CC:	Pavel Roskin <proski@....org>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>,
	Giridhar Pemmasani <pgiri@...oo.com>
Subject: Re: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux

Jon Masters wrote:

> I wouldn't quite say that. I wasn't going to comment, but...personally,
> I actually disagree with the assertions that ndiswrapper isn't causing
> proprietary code to link against GPL functions in the kernel (how is
> an NDIS implementation any different than a shim layer provided to
> load a graphics driver?), but I wasn't trying to make that point.

Well, as long as *any* part of the kernel ever links to proprietary 
code, then GPL functions link to it in exactly the same way ndiswrapper 
enables.  It's only a matter of how many steps of separation.

A perfectly GPL USB network driver linked to GPL-only functions feeds 
data into the kernel where it swirls about and emerges from a 
proprietary network filesystem driver, for example.
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