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binary modules include GPL code from kernel headers

Posted Oct 15, 2003 16:26 UTC (Wed) by pizza (subscriber, #46)
In reply to: binary modules include GPL code from kernel headers by ballombe
Parent article: LinkSys and binary modules

So under this intrepretaion, glibc has to be GPL, as it relies on kernel headers to build. Since glibc is therefore GPL, any applications which run on linux must also be considered GPL.

Food for thought. You can't have it both ways.

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Posted Oct 15, 2003 18:19 UTC (Wed) by ballombe (subscriber, #9523) [Link]

Note the "user space programs" exception in Linux/COPYING.

Outside the above exception, kernel headers are under the GPL, not the
LGPL as are GLIBC headers.

So whereas non GPL programs can use GLIBC headers, non GPL modules cannot
use kernel headers.

Correct

Posted Oct 16, 2003 4:17 UTC (Thu) by Ross (subscriber, #4065) [Link]

This is why most binary modules use a wrapper which separates the non-GPLed code from the GPLed code. See the NVIDIA driver for an example.

Wrapper which separates the non-GPLed code from the GPLed code ?

Posted Oct 23, 2003 13:04 UTC (Thu) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

They try to make module usable with >1 version of kernel. You can not write such a wrapper NOW. You need to add exception like it's done for userspace programs ! And only copyright holder can add such exception.