R: R: [ATMSAR] Request for review - update #1

[Giampaolo Tomassoni]

> On Tue, 2005-09-06 at 12:04 +0200, matthieu castet wrote:
> > Yes, but only GPL module could use EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL's symbol.
> > So if pulsaradsl-1.0.1 EVALUATION isn't GPL how it could use ATMSAR ?
> 
> It may not. Binary modules are not legal. 
> 
> The distinction between EXPORT_SYMBOL and EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL is a red
> herring -- it doesn't actually make any real legal difference either
> way. The kernel is released under the GPL. Either the GPL allows you to
> link binary-only modules into the kernel, or it does not. 

Maybe I'm wrong (again), but as long as is the kernel to bind a proprietary binary, it is not illegal. In that case, the module is said to 'taint the kernel', not the contrary.

Anyway, the Pulsar PCI ADSL card is the one I own, so I couldn't find any other way to do evaluate the ATMSAR code with a non-USB device. It is not supposed to be a production driver...

...


> Think about it... if the '_GPL' distinction were actually meaningful,
> then it would be an extra restriction over and above what's normal with
> EXPORT_SYMBOL. But the GPL itself explicitly forbids such extra
> restrictions. Thus, if EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL were meaningful, it would
> violate the GPL. There can be no difference between the meaning of the
> two.
> 
> Still, I prefer to use EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL everywhere, because that's
> actually what _both_ of them mean.

Oh, well. Maybe you're right, but I believe that a too tight enforcement of the GPL license wouldn't benefit to the Linux community too. A lot of company would have to abandon it. Also, what about the firmware burned into some devices' eproms? Wouldn't it be illegal to use Linux with that devices? And BIOSes? I'm shure there are some call to bioses into Linux, and maybe even linux callbacks called by BIOS code. Isn't this a bind between Linux and proprietary code?

> 
> -- 
> dwmw2
> 
> 
> 
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