From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Tue May 27 16:49:10 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id BDA5D37B401 for ; Tue, 27 May 2003 16:49:10 -0700 (PDT) Received: from PIKES.panasas.com (gw2.panasas.com [65.194.124.178]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AD4ED43FBF for ; Tue, 27 May 2003 16:49:08 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from chris@pennasoft.com) Received: from waumbek.panasas.com ([172.17.2.36]) by PIKES.panasas.com with SMTP (Microsoft Exchange Internet Mail Service Version 5.5.2653.13) id 2AZLVNLW; Tue, 27 May 2003 19:49:06 -0400 From: Chris BeHanna Organization: PennaSoft Corporation To: current@freebsd.org Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 19:49:06 -0400 User-Agent: KMail/1.5.2 References: In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200305271949.06234.chris@pennasoft.com> Subject: Re: policy on GPL'd drivers? X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: chris@pennasoft.com List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 23:49:11 -0000 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