Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: GPL issues | Date | Tue, 11 Apr 2006 13:46:36 -0400 | From | Horst von Brand <> |
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Jesper Juhl <jesper.juhl@gmail.com> wrote: > On 4/11/06, Ramakanth Gunuganti <rgunugan@yahoo.com> wrote: > > I am trying to understand the GPL boundaries for > > Linux, any clarification provided on the following > > issues below would be great: > > > > As part of a project, I would like to extend the Linux > > kernel to support some additional features needed for > > the project, the changes will include: > > o Modification to Linux kernel. > > o Adding new kernel modules. > > o New system calls/IOCTLs to use the kernel > > modifications/LKMs. > > > > All kernel changes including LKMs will be released > > under GPL. > > > > Questions:
> Note: The answers to the questions below are based on my own personal > understanding of the GPL and the policies of the Linux kernel.
IANAL either.
> Also contacting a lawyer would probably not be a bad idea.
Essential, not just a good idea. Just pick one who /does/ have a grasp of GPL and like issues.
> > (Any reference to GPL license while answering these > > questions would be great) > > > > 1. If an application is built on top of this modified > > kernel, should the application be released under GPL? > > No. Applications that merely use the services the kernel provides need > not be GPL.
But AFAIU there is a fine line here... at least /in spirit/, adding system calls and IOCTLs and... just for the particular use of a particular closed source application is definitely wrong. It might be legally OK (I don't know; the opinion here is divided on that kind of matter, see f.ex. the regularly scheduled flamefest about binary modules), but morally it is at least suspicious.
> > Do system calls provide a bounday for GPL? How does > > this work with LKMs, all the code for LKMs will be > > released but would a userspace application using the > > LKMs choose not to use GPL?
> Again, a userspace application that merely use kernel services need not > be GPL.
As long as it uses the standard system calls. Adding special system calls might (should?) change that... -- Dr. Horst H. von Brand User #22616 counter.li.org Departamento de Informatica Fono: +56 32 654431 Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria +56 32 654239 Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile Fax: +56 32 797513 - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
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