Re: Linux, UDI and SCO.

David Feuer (feuer@his.com)
Fri, 18 Sep 1998 23:45:44 -0400

Stephen Williams wrote:
>
> pavel@atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz said:
> > Even with UDI, SCO can not use Linux drivers: linux drivers _have to_
> > be GPL in order to link with kernel. And unless SCO is going GPL, they
> > can not link with GPL code... (Unless they find way to insert GPL code
> > as a module - that might be legal.)
>
> And if UDI drivers can be loaded as modules (I would require it, myself)
> then our GPL kernel will be able to run non-GPL drivers the same way that
> non-gpl programs under linux legally.
>
> Everybody wins?
> --
> Steve Williams "The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

I don't think that the warnings against evil corporate drivers were
strong enough. Is there any _good_ reason for a company to keep its
driver code secret? If not, I would recommend requiring driver code to
be GPL-compatible Open Source. (GPLCOS?). Another interesting
possibility would be a rather stronger form of warning. The first
couple times you boot with evil corporate hardware, the screen flashes,
a siren goes off, and you are warned that the provided device driver is
causing a breach of security, and that you should call the vendor to get
the secure GPLCOS version. ;)

-- 
  ______________________________
/  David Feuer			\
|  dfeuer@binx.mbhs.edu		|
|  feuer@his.com		|
|  daf@cygnus.usno.navy.mil	|
|  david@feuer.his.com 		|
\  301-320-4990         	/
  -----------------------------


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