Ubuntu Developer Summit report: X.org improvements, driver controversy, andbling (Linux.com)

Ubuntu Developer Summit report: X.org improvements, driver controversy, andbling (Linux.com)

Posted Nov 17, 2006 3:07 UTC (Fri) by notamisfit (subscriber, #40886)
In reply to: Ubuntu Developer Summit report: X.org improvements, driver controversy, andbling (Linux.com) by ajross
Parent article: Ubuntu Developer Summit report: X.org improvements, driver controversy, and bling (Linux.com)

Actually, at OLS earlier in the year, Greg KH pointed out in no uncertain terms that binary-only kernel modules are, in his opinion, illegal. A quick glance at Google's lkml archives seems to show that he's not the only one. Most distributions that include the kernel modules use some cutesy trick to ensure they're not actually distributing a GPL-violating kernel module; Kooraa's XGL LiveCD got shut down over this one, then came back with Intel and r200/r300 ATI drivers. (FWIW, Linus once made a comment about some uses of binary-only kernel modules not being infringing eleven years ago, and has been living it down ever since.)

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