Re: A "new driver model" and EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL question

[Greg KH <greg@kroah.com>]

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.

greg k-h
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