Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 19:49:06 -0400 From: Chris BeHanna <chris@pennasoft.com> To: current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: policy on GPL'd drivers? Message-ID: <200305271949.06234.chris@pennasoft.com> In-Reply-To: <C90CF9CA-9040-11D7-941E-0003937E39E0@mac.com> References: <C90CF9CA-9040-11D7-941E-0003937E39E0@mac.com>
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On Tuesday 27 May 2003 08:43, David Leimbach wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 27, 2003, at 07:36 AM, Wilko Bulte wrote:
> > On Tue, May 27, 2003 at 02:35:41PM +0200, Stijn Hoop wrote:
> >> On Tue, May 27, 2003 at 07:28:29AM -0500, David Leimbach wrote:
> >>> I have the GPLd source to the nforce drivers for Linux
> >>> to support the nVidia nforce and nforce2 drivers in the kernel.
> >>>
> >>> To port these to FreeBSD would be an interesting task [if it hasn't
> >>> already been done] and I have been looking for an excuse to get
> >>> down and dirty with FBSD.
> >>> [Yes... talk is cheap... just do it... Nike-a-go-go etc etc... :)]
> >>>
> >>> What is the policy on drivers that are clearly going to have to be
> >>> GPLd by the viral clause since I am referencing a GPL driver to do
> >>> the
> >>> porting work myself? Are these allowed in the kernel?
> >
> > Yes, see for example the GPL_ed floating point emulator.
> >
> > However the idea is that all GPL infected stuff be isolated, allowing a
> > fully working kernel without GPL stuff in there.
>
> Sounds like a "kernel module" is the way to go then. Perhaps it
> could exist in the ports tree instead of the mainline kernel sources
> :). I know I'd be happy with that... the problem is hosting the
> driver since I am sure "patching" it won't be enough to map the
> linux innards to freebsd's.
Get someone to pair with you and do a clean-room implementation.
One of you studies the GPL'd driver and writes a specification. The
other writes a BSD-licensed driver from the specification, BUT NEVER
ONCE LOOKS AT THE GPL'D SOURCE.
Virus removed.
--
Chris BeHanna http://www.pennasoft.com
Principal Consultant
PennaSoft Corporation
chris@pennasoft.com
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