[openbeos] Re: openbeos Digest V2 #153

Massimiliano Origgi wrote:
>According to the GPL we should make the kernel GPL too, sure we could just
>ignore it, but could also create problems.
Not quite.
GPL states that if your code is based on GPL code then it too falls under
GPL.
If your program requires a GPLed library (static or dynamic) then the
program code falls under GPL.
The exceprtion is if the GPLed code calls on libraries or other programs
that are under another license these are not automatically GPLed too. This
means that GPL drivers can call on the kernel without having to GPL the
kernel. Sony did this quite successfully with Linux on the PS2. They added a
closed source layer under the Linux kernel and altered the kernel to call
the closed source library, nicely hiding the hardware underneath while no
breaking the GPL.

Cedri Degea wrote:
>The NVidia driver is
>1) for Linux (GPL)
>2) written by people outside the linux "core team".
They're not GPL, or any sort of open source format. These drivers are
written by nVidia themselves and based on the same Detonator code base they
use for Windows. nVidia will not open the code for these. There are open
source drivers for pre version 4 XFree, but they are not anywhere near the
same standard.


Jeremy Powers wrote:
>I resemble this remark. ;-)
>Some of us lurkers are very hard workers (in our own minds), but are
>stuck working on non-obos stuff.  It sucks not having the time to do
>everything you want... but speaking purely for myself, I'm sure most
>lurkers would love to be able to work, but simply lack the time.
Me too.:) Windows and Linux (work related) sucks up nearly all of my time.

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