Messages in this thread | | | Date | Wed, 13 Apr 2005 02:36:04 +0200 | From | Adrian Bunk <> | Subject | Re: 2.6.12-rc2-mm2 |
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On Mon, Apr 11, 2005 at 08:18:32AM -0700, Paul E. McKenney wrote: > On Mon, Apr 11, 2005 at 12:48:34AM +0200, Adrian Bunk wrote: > > kernel-rcupdatec-make-the-exports-export_symbol_gpl.patch > > add-deprecated_for_modules.patch > > add-deprecated_for_modules-fix.patch > > deprecate-synchronize_kernel-gpl-replacement.patch > > deprecate-synchronize_kernel-gpl-replacement-fix.patch > > change-synchronize_kernel-to-_rcu-and-_sched.patch > > > > > > Please drop these patches. > > Please keep them! > > > Using these symbols in non-GPL modules is a legal problem at least in > > the USA except for IBM, > > Again, based on what line of reasoning? Again, the obvious lines > of reasoning do not apply.
Shouldn't the IBM patents be enough reason to prevent everyone except IBM from using RCU in non-GPL modules?
> > and all we've heard from IBM is that they are > > not 100% sure that there is really no binary-only module by IBM that > > might use these symbols. > > >From my earlier message (http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/4/4/244): > > Agreed, in that I know of no binary module that uses RCU. However, > I cannot -prove- that there is no such module. > > IOW, I am also not 100% sure that there is really no binary-only module > using these symbols by -anyone-, including someone -other- than IBM. > In addition, I know of no way that -anyone- could possibly be 100% sure > that there is really no binary-only module using symbols. Hence the > approach of providing the year "grace period" before transitioning to > EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(). >...
If kernel development was based on the assumption that every change that might break binary-only modules would need a one year "grace period", it was much different from how it's today...
> Thanx, Paul
cu Adrian
--
"Is there not promise of rain?" Ling Tan asked suddenly out of the darkness. There had been need of rain for many days. "Only a promise," Lao Er said. Pearl S. Buck - Dragon Seed
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