From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Tue May 27 19:27:43 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 BCAD237B401 for ; Tue, 27 May 2003 19:27:43 -0700 (PDT) Received: from smtp0.adl1.internode.on.net (smtp0.adl1.internode.on.net [203.16.214.194]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2AE4743F93 for ; Tue, 27 May 2003 19:27:40 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from doconnor@gsoft.com.au) Received: from midget.dons.net.au (ppp600.sa.padsl.internode.on.net [150.101.246.87])h4S2RYMO018586; Wed, 28 May 2003 11:57:34 +0930 (CST) Received: from localhost (darius@localhost.dons.net.au [127.0.0.1]) by midget.dons.net.au (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h4S2SdLh044805; Wed, 28 May 2003 11:58:44 +0930 (CST) (envelope-from doconnor@gsoft.com.au) From: "Daniel O'Connor" To: David Leimbach , Wilko Bulte Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 11:47:53 +0930 User-Agent: KMail/1.5 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: <200305281147.53271.doconnor@gsoft.com.au> X-Spam-Score: -2.4 () IN_REP_TO,QUOTED_EMAIL_TEXT,REFERENCES,SIGNATURE_SHORT_DENSE,SPAM_PHRASE_01_02,USER_AGENT X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.26 (www . roaringpenguin . com / mimedefang) cc: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: policy on GPL'd drivers? X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 02:27:44 -0000 On Tue, 27 May 2003 22:13, David Leimbach wrote: > > 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. There are already a number of kernel modules in the ports tree (eg nvidia drivers, ltmdm modem driver, aureal sound driver, etc). The only downside is that there are no hooks into the build process so you have to be VERY careful when you update your kernel, or you get panics :( (I found this recently, some change broke all of my 3rd party modules and caused panics when I tried to load them). I would really like some way of getting external modules rebuilt at the same time as buildkernel and friends, otherwise you have to remember to rebuild the affected ports, and it is a pain in the ass. -- Daniel O'Connor software and network engineer for Genesis Software - http://www.gsoft.com.au "The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from." -- Andrew Tanenbaum GPG Fingerprint - 9A8C 569F 685A D928 5140 AE4B 319B 41F4 5D17 FDD5