Re: policy on GPL'd drivers?

From: Scott Long <scott_long_at_btc.adaptec.com>
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 08:34:57 -0600
Steve Kargl wrote:
> On Wed, May 28, 2003 at 06:40:46PM +0930, Daniel O'Connor wrote:
> 
>>On Wed, 28 May 2003 18:39, M. Warner Losh wrote:
>>
>>>: > : Maybe the kernel build stuff can look in /usr/local/src/sys/modules
>>>: > : for things to build or something..
>>>: >
>>>: > YUCK!
>>>:
>>>: *WHY?*
>>>:
>>>: I have asked this before BTW, and I haven't been told why it sucks.
>>>
>>>Because there are other, more elegant ways of dealing with these
>>>things.  I don't like /usr/local/src anything, which was the main
>>>complaint.
>>
>>If there are more elegant solutions I would like to know what they are.
>>
>>I agree it isn't a great solution, but I can't see what is better.
>>
> 
> 
> For GPL modules, put them in src/sys/gnu.  If you don't
> want bloat, then use cvsup and a refuse file to not
> retrieve the sys/gnu.  See the discussion that occurred
> many years ago when maestro3 support was committed to
> the tree.
> 
> For non-viral licensed code, put it in its proper 
> place in the sys/ hierarchy.  Then use a WANT_XXX=yes
> knob in the /etc/make.conf to cause XXX to be built.
> 

It should be noted that the maestro3 case only involved the firmware
being GPL, not the whole driver (I and the other author had explicit
permission to license the kernel portion as BSDL).  I still wonder about
the validity of GPLing hexidecimal digits that represent binary machine
code.....

Scott
Received on Wed May 28 2003 - 05:37:53 UTC

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