Jesper Juhl <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 4/11/06, Ramakanth Gunuganti <[email protected]> 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 [email protected]
More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
[Index of Archives]
[Kernel Newbies]
[Netfilter]
[Bugtraq]
[Photo]
[Stuff]
[Gimp]
[Yosemite News]
[MIPS Linux]
[ARM Linux]
[Linux Security]
[Linux RAID]
[Video 4 Linux]
[Linux for the blind]
[Linux Resources]
