linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] module: Clarify GPL-Compatible is OK

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Message-ID: <20120408202310.GA17765@thunk.org>
Date:	Sun, 8 Apr 2012 16:23:10 -0400
From:	Ted Ts'o <tytso@....edu>
To:	"Luis R. Rodriguez" <mcgrof@...jolero.org>
Cc:	Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	rusty@...tcorp.com.au, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Keith Packard <keithp@...thp.com>,
	Ralf Baechle <ralf@...ux-mips.org>,
	David Woodhouse <dwmw2@...radead.org>,
	Stephen Hemminger <shemminger@...tta.com>,
	"John W. Linville" <linville@...driver.com>,
	Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] module: Clarify GPL-Compatible is OK

On Sat, Apr 07, 2012 at 05:52:53PM -0700, Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> > If you are really worried about people being upset that currently, you
> > have to explicitly add a GPL license to BSD-licensed driver code
> > before it gets imported into the kernel, and you are trying to
> > sidestep the issue by adding a "GPL-Compatible" license (on the
> > grounds that a BSD-only license qualifies as GPl-Compatible), let's
> > have that debate openly, instead of trying to side-step it by adding
> > "GPL-compatible" to include/linux/license.h and allowing BSD-only
> > modules to use GPL-only symbols via a back door.
> 
> I think you are implying that I want BSD licensed modules to use
> GPL-only symbols. That is not the case. There are two things to
> consider here and I think its best to separate them -- runtime and
> stand alone file licenses.

No, I wasn't thinking that; this is why I was asking what your motives
were.  I had *assumed* there were BSD'ites which were squicked out by
even having the three letters "GPL" in the file in any shape or form,
and so they wanted to keep a file licensed solely under a BSD-only
(w/o the advertising clause), even if the driver was primarily being
updated and maintained within the Linux kernel sources.

I didn't pick up from your other e-mail that you were just going to
use a MODULE_LICENSE of "GPL" which is just as good assuming the folks
from BSD who wanted to share drivers were OK with it.

						- Ted
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