VMware Question

[MonMotha]

I thought the point of export_gpl_only was that only GPL or GPL 
compatible modules could use the GPL symbols.  Basically, the owner of 
that symbol could define how they wanted the ambiguous "derrived work" 
and "direct linking" to be treated.

There's an email linus sent that was referenced in the LKML FAQ:
<http://www.atnf.csiro.au/~rgooch/linux/docs/licensing.txt>
There might be more info as to how the export_gpl_only thing works.

I know I saw someone complaining that the VMWare kernel part wouldn't 
load for them because of export_gpl_only symbols not resolving (as the 
VMWare stuff is neither GPL nor GPL compatible), but maybe they were 
just seeing other issues as modutils only knows when a module is non-GPL 
and has unresolved symbols, not if those unresolved symbols are exported 
GPL only.

--MonMotha

Warren Togami wrote:

> No, non GPL kernel modules will load.  nVidia's proprietary drivers wouldn't
> work without that capability, although it displays a "tainted" warning.
> 
> The kernel developers made that "tainted" system so that they can easily
> look at kernel panics and know if any proprietary modules were loaded.  It
> saves them time by not wasting their time in debugging problems that cannot
> be fixed because the source code is not freely available under the GPL or
> BSD license.  In other words it is like "use at your own risk".
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "MonMotha" <monmotha at indy.rr.com>
> To: "Linux & Unix Advocates & Users" <luau at list.luau.hi.net>
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 10:24 AM
> Subject: [luau] Re: VMware Question
> 
> 
> 
>>Well, VMWare was going to try to compiel kerenl modules for your kernel,
>>but couldn't as you dont' have a C compiler.  However, I don't think
>>VMWare works in linux anymore as their stuff isn't GPL and newer kernels
>>enforce GPL only symbol exports.
>>
>>--MonMotha
>>
> 
> 
> 
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