Re: ndiswrapper and GPL-only symbols redux

From: Zan Lynx
Date: Wed Jan 30 2008 - 00:38:23 EST


Jon Masters wrote:

I wouldn't quite say that. I wasn't going to comment, but...personally,
I actually disagree with the assertions that ndiswrapper isn't causing
proprietary code to link against GPL functions in the kernel (how is
an NDIS implementation any different than a shim layer provided to
load a graphics driver?), but I wasn't trying to make that point.

Well, as long as *any* part of the kernel ever links to proprietary code, then GPL functions link to it in exactly the same way ndiswrapper enables. It's only a matter of how many steps of separation.

A perfectly GPL USB network driver linked to GPL-only functions feeds data into the kernel where it swirls about and emerges from a proprietary network filesystem driver, for example.
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