Freescale Linux BSP review

Piotr Gluszenia Slawinski curious at bwv190.internetdsl.tpnet.pl
Mon Dec 20 18:17:40 PST 2010


On Mon, 20 Dec 2010, Alan Cox wrote:

>> My point which people keep missing is that graphics stacks are a
>> single entity, that span kernel and userspace, one cannot exist
>> without the other, and there are interfaces that join them.
>
> As a copyright holder on the kernel I'll also remind the people concerned
> that the definition of a derivative work is a legal not a technical one
> and if the kernel and user space cannot be used except together and one
> half depends on GPL elements I hope your lawyers have reviewed it
> carefully. I have never given anyone permission to link my GPL kernel
> contributions with anything but GPL code, modular or otherwise, except
> according to the derivative work rules laid down by the GPL (and indeed
> by the boundaries placed on copyright law).

but it can be circumvented by writing GPL driver which will act as 'glue 
logic' inbetween userspace driver and which will work in kernel space?

technically then driver would be GPL, except it's closed parts which will 
be ran in userspace... or can you forbid usage of certain closed userspace 
components with kernel?

p.s. let's skip for now discussion who "should" write such driver, as i 
understand anyone can do it anyway.

-- 


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