Re: linux-security-module digest, Vol 1 #635 - 9 msgs

From: David Wheeler (dwheelerat_private)
Date: Fri Oct 18 2002 - 08:06:52 PDT

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    Crispen Cowan said:
    
     >Note that if we decide that #include of a kernel header file means that
     >a work is derived, then we cause another problem: most Linux
     >applications come under the GPL.  glibc #includes some kernel header
     >files, and most Linux applications #include glibc headers, so most
     >applications are #including kernel header files. If #include is the
     >basis for declaring a module to be a derived work of the kernel, then
     >there is some bad news coming for people who like to use Oracle and DB2
     >on Linux ...
    
    Actually, in this case the both the standard GPL license and the
    license description in Linux itself seem fairly clear; proprietary
    _applications_ can run on top of a GPL'ed kernel.
    The GPL itself says:
    
     >However, as a
     >special exception, the source code distributed need not include
     >anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary
     >form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the
     >operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
     >itself accompanies the executable.
    
    And the Linux kernel license restates this concept quite explicitly.
    In addition, as has been pointed out elsewhere, there's additional
    indirection in the C libraries.
    
    Proprietary _kernel modules_ are in a far murkier world, legally.
    
    Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer!  I don't even play one on TV :-).
    I just thought this might be useful information.
    
    --- David A. Wheeler
    
    
    
    
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