[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Hi Freeman, > > How does UMD allow you to "leverage linux nic driver source codes > > without any legal issues"? > > It is very possible to cause license issue if I ready some linux driver > code and then > write a solaris kernel driver. But if I implement the solaris driver in > user mode, > it will not compromise solaris kernel.
This sounds a bit wobbly to me. The issue with porting over Linux drivers to the Solaris kernel is a Sun problem and perhaps an ON and OpenSolaris problem, but it's not a general problem. In other words, we have the rule for ON because of the lack of clarity in the GPLv2 regarding what is considered a "mere aggregation" and what constitutes a dependency that invokes the GPL viral provisions. Nobody really knows, even with a clearly delineated DDI, so it's a risk not worth taking. (There are some who think that kernel modules are distinct enough not to cause a problem, but the issue lacks clarity.) Others -- those not contributing directly to ON via OpenSolaris -- can and do have other considerations. I'm not a lawyer (and thus you should _not_ rely on my advice), but I see no obvious problem for any third party to port a GPLv2 kernel driver and post it to sourceforge.net or similar site for others to download and use on their own Solaris system. Thus, I'm not sure what problem you're actually solving for OpenSolaris itself. Do you really want to bundle Linux drivers in user space with Solaris itself? If so, then I object because it's a hack -- if it's possible at all (Linux lacks a DDI), it'll very likely perform badly and give Solaris a worse name as a result. If you don't want to bundle the Linux drivers with Solaris, then where's the problem being solved? The barriers imagined don't seem to exist, as best I can tell. > More details. It is very possible that the user mode part will follow GPL, > for it may be copied from GPL'ed code, but according to the clause of GPL, > this does not require the kernel part to follow gpl. I don't see that this actually fixes any existing problem, and it clearly causes new ones -- including a likely impossible support task. (Consider the narrow range of supported Linux variants for BrandZ; and that was with the relatively stable user space APIs rather than the free-for-all in the Linux kernel.) So, -1 from me. I don't see a point. -- James Carlson, Solaris Networking <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sun Microsystems / 1 Network Drive 71.232W Vox +1 781 442 2084 MS UBUR02-212 / Burlington MA 01803-2757 42.496N Fax +1 781 442 1677 _______________________________________________ networking-discuss mailing list [email protected]
