From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1754290AbXDSW6J (ORCPT ); Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:58:09 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1754295AbXDSW6I (ORCPT ); Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:58:08 -0400 Received: from wx-out-0506.google.com ([66.249.82.236]:13499 "EHLO wx-out-0506.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1754294AbXDSW6H (ORCPT ); Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:58:07 -0400 DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=beta; h=received:message-id:date:from:to:subject:cc:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:references; b=m0avFrGOYiT7J4t2Lt2Zt/r+pTEotBKxH98a4fcs2Jnuv3G9+4ngWMYkAGcHGmaSY/5POYQcmfQFvSvf3VDwKvX6goOYazRLydarbpGVvQTCOZWmdHDwbAWEO5BI7zo6lIyHSUJGKgdmuOerccY6oYpfAi40fLPLHPCDlcZ4pjg= Message-ID: Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:58:02 -0700 From: "Michael K. Edwards" To: chris@pcburn.com Subject: Re: GPL-incompatible Module Error Message Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: <4627EED5.6020800@pcburn.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline References: <4627EED5.6020800@pcburn.com> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On 4/19/07, Chris Bergeron wrote: > It just seemed like it might be interesting and I couldn't find anything > to shed light on the error itself in the mailing list logs, and I'm > curious at what's happening. What's happening is that some kernel developers don't like Linus's stance on binary-only drivers and are trying to circumvent the norms of software copyright law using EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL. (Why some people think that the GPL is magically exempt from Lotus v. Borland, Lexmark v. Static Control, and their analogues in other jurisdiction is beyond me -- but then I gave up smoking the FSF's parallel-legal-universe herb some time ago.) Just s/EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL/EXPORT_SYMBOL/ throughout the kernel and you'll be fine -- at a technical level. But be prepared, when later changes break extra-volatile quasi-private in-kernel APIs, to keep both pieces -- and to be shunned by EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL partisans. Cheers (IANAL, TINLA), - Michael