linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 0/2] module: Block modules by Tuxedo from accessing GPL symbols

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Message-ID: <ozjiojcjmdjppmtardffvrqkuksnexyhfttzbyandihzhg6n3t@ssscyybngobw>
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2024 18:49:56 +0100
From: Uwe Kleine-König <ukleinek@...nel.org>
To: Werner Sembach <wse@...edocomputers.com>
Cc: Luis Chamberlain <mcgrof@...nel.org>, tux@...edocomputers.com, 
	Petr Pavlu <petr.pavlu@...e.com>, Sami Tolvanen <samitolvanen@...gle.com>, 
	Daniel Gomez <da.gomez@...sung.com>, linux-modules@...r.kernel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, 
	Thorsten Leemhuis <linux@...mhuis.info>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 0/2] module: Block modules by Tuxedo from accessing GPL
 symbols

Hello,

On Thu, Nov 14, 2024 at 12:14:16PM +0100, Uwe Kleine-König wrote:
> On 11/14/24 11:49, Werner Sembach wrote:
> > Am 14.11.24 um 11:31 schrieb Uwe Kleine-König:
> > > the kernel modules provided by Tuxedo on
> > > https://gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/development/packages/tuxedo-drivers
> > > are licensed under GPLv3 or later. This is incompatible with the
> > > kernel's license and so makes it impossible for distributions and other
> > > third parties to support these at least in pre-compiled form and so
> > > limits user experience and the possibilities to work on mainlining these
> > > drivers.
> > > 
> > > This incompatibility is created on purpose to control the upstream
> > > process. See https://fosstodon.org/@kernellogger/113423314337991594 for
> > > a nice summary of the situation and some further links about the issue.
> > > 
> > > Note that the pull request that fixed the MODULE_LICENSE invocations to
> > > stop claiming GPL(v2) compatibility was accepted and then immediately
> > > reverted "for the time being until the legal stuff is sorted out"
> > > (https://gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/development/packages/tuxedo-
> > > drivers/-/commit/a8c09b6c2ce6393fe39d8652d133af9f06cfb427).
> > 
> > As already being implied by that commit message, this is sadly not an
> > issue that can be sorted out over night.
> > 
> > We ended up in this situation as MODULE_LICENSE("GPL") on its own does
> > not hint at GPL v2, if one is not aware of the license definition table
> > in the documentation.
> 
> That statement isn't consistent with you saying to pick GPLv3 as an
> explicitly incompatible license to control the mainlining process. So you
> knew that it's legally at least questionable to combine these licenses.

When I wrote this mail I missed the possibility that while Werner knew
GPLv3 isn't ok for in-kernel code might still have considered GPLv3 ok
for external modules anyhow. 

So I take back what I said and excuse me for my words. They were not
intended as harsh as Werner obviously took them, but still I regret
having written my reply with this suggestion.

I'm sorry,
Uwe

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