From owner-freebsd-chat Mon Jun 14 2:44: 3 1999 Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Received: from avarice.riverstyx.net (hq-port-97.harbour-dhcp-pool.infinetgroup.com [207.23.37.97]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8C04A14D70 for ; Mon, 14 Jun 1999 02:44:01 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from unknown@riverstyx.net) Received: from avarice (avarice [207.23.37.97]) by avarice.riverstyx.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA02342; Mon, 14 Jun 1999 17:43:40 -0700 Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 17:43:40 -0700 (PDT) From: Tani Hosokawa To: David Schwartz Cc: Dag-Erling Smorgrav , David Kelly , Morten Seeberg , freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: RE: SGI Donated Journalised FS Source to Linux In-Reply-To: <000001beb642$65385540$021d85d1@whenever.youwant.to> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org I don't see as how the kernel module would be "stealing" from the kernel at all. From a module's perspective, the kernel just has an API that it has to conform to. In fact, a kernel module is only really a highly specialized form of executable, and I think it would be inane to suggest that all Linux executables be GPL'd because they happen to use various kernel hooks in order to operate. XFS is a concept all on its own, and it doesn't require the kernel to exist. It can be attached to any operating system. What Dag is thinking of, I assume, is the clause in the GPL that states that if a GPL'd component is included (bundled) with another product, the latter product must be GPL'd. It doesn't work in reverse, and I don't see the situation being the Linux kernel being bundled as part of the XFS package. Just thoughts and jots... On Mon, 14 Jun 1999, David Schwartz wrote: > > FWIW, my lawyers don't agree. If a derived work requires the original work > in order to be used, you can steal from the original all you want. > > For example, if I make a replacement foo.sys for Windows 98, I can steal > from Windows 98 all I want so long as the finished foo.sys can only be used > with Windows 98. > > After all, what good does it do to steal something if you can only give it > to those who already have it? What would Microsoft's damages be? > > Similarly, a kernel module may have to steal from the kernel, but since it > can only be used with the kernel, the same rule applies. > > DS > > > I hope they won't be too busy "reviewing the terms of the XFS license" > > to read the GPL and discover that it requires them to release XFS > > under GPL, even if it is "not part of the kernel but rather a loadable > > module". > > > > DES > > -- > > Dag-Erling Smorgrav - des@flood.ping.uio.no > > > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > > with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message > > > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message > --- tani hosokawa river styx internet To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message