Messages in this thread | | | Date | Tue, 5 Jul 2005 22:26:23 -0700 | From | Greg KH <> | Subject | Re: A "new driver model" and EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL question |
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On Tue, Jul 05, 2005 at 10:37:43PM -0600, Michal Jaegermann wrote: > On Tue, Jul 05, 2005 at 02:57:40PM -0700, Greg KH wrote: > > On Tue, Jul 05, 2005 at 03:50:43PM -0600, Zan Lynx wrote: > > > Sourced from here: > > > http://hulllug.principalhosting.net/archive/index.php/t-52440.html > > > > No, that is not the same topic or thread. > > Formally you are correct but from my POV this sounds casuistic and > fit for a patent lawyer.
You must have have dealt with many patent lawyers. I have, and they operate in a league of their own on how to intrepret the english language in patent claims :)
> You were "recently advised not to change > these symbols" and you stated that you will not. So instead you did > an end run and you removed an old interface and introduced a > replacement; but this time with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL - which has the > same effect as what you told you will not do.
I was "advised" to not do so, until the parties that were complaining about the change, had time to convert their code. They then did so, and so, a number of MONTHS later, I did a rewrite of the code, which caused me to create new functions and delete old, non-used functions. Those new functions were marked with the EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL mark, as ALL of the driver core functions are. This change had lived in the -mm tree for a number of months now, with no objections.
> > If you know of any closed source code, using those functions, please put > > them in contact with me. > > Well, I gave an example in my original question. Yes, I asked them > to contact you. If they will do that I have no idea.
Thanks for doing so.
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