TIL: @tuxedocomputers released #Linux #kernel drivers for their machines under the #GPLv3, which makes it impossible for competitors and distros to ship them pre-compiled, as that license is incompatible with the #LinuxKernel's #GPLv2 only license.
They did this purposely, allegedly to "keep control of the upstream pacing" – and want to re-license the code while upstreaming.
github.com/tuxedocomputers/tux…
gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/dev…
gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/dev…
gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/dev…
Licensing incompatibility between Linux kernel and these kernel modules · Issue #61 · tuxedocomputers/tuxedo-keyboard
I was looking into this project's kernel modules to figure out packaging it, and I discovered that this project's license is not compatible with the Linux kernel's own license, thus the combination...GitHub
This entry was edited (4 weeks ago)
Thorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4)
in reply to Thorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4) • • •Thorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4)
in reply to Thorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4) • • •3/ It got even stranger: it seems @tuxedocomputers provided the wrong license to the #LinuxKernel's MODULE_LICENSE()[1] macro either by accident or on purpose. 🧐
@waldi pointed that out earlier today elsewhere in this thread; PWM maintainer Uwe Kleine-König a little later submitted a bug report asking this to be fixed:
gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/dev…
[1] they proclaim it's GPL, which according to the #Linux #kernel's docs means "GPLv2" (either -only or -or-later), when in fact the code is GPLv3
Add SPDX License identifiers and be honest in MODULE_LICENSE (!21) · Merge requests · TUXEDO Computers / Development / Packages / tuxedo-drivers · GitLab
GitLabThorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4)
in reply to Thorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4) • • •4/ TWIMC and for the record:
Werner Sembach from @tuxedocomputers now merged Uwe's proposed changes that make the drivers provide the right license to the #Linux #kernel's MODULE_LICENSE()[1] macro. 👏
gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/dev…
(side note: I suspect the kernel will now taint itself as "proprietary" when loading these drivers, but haven't tried)
CC: @waldi
Add SPDX License identifiers and be honest in MODULE_LICENSE (!21) · Merge requests · TUXEDO Computers / Development / Packages / tuxedo-drivers · GitLab
GitLabThorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4)
in reply to Thorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4) • • •5/ TWIMC and for the record:
Werner Sembach from @tuxedocomputers *reverted* Uwe's changes that made the drivers provide the right license to the #Linux #kernel's MODULE_LICENSE()[1] macro "until the legal stuff is sorted out":
gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/dev…
Wondering why that happened – did they only notice now that the drivers do not compile any more because they use GPL-onlyed symbols, which are inaccessible for any non-GPLv2-compatible module?
CC: @waldi
Revert "Add SPDX License identifiers and be honest in MODULE_LICENSE" (a8c09b6c) · Commits · TUXEDO Computers / Development / Packages / tuxedo-drivers · GitLab
GitLabThorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4)
in reply to Thorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4) • • •6/ To follow up:
There are now patches under discussion upstream to '"teach the [#Linux #Kernel's] module loader that these modules [from @tuxedocomputers ] are proprietary despite their declaration to be GPLv2 compatible "until the legal stuff is sorted out". "'
lore.kernel.org/all/2024111410…
CC: @waldi #LinuxKernel
[PATCH 0/2] module: Block modules by Tuxedo from accessing GPL symbols
lore.kernel.orgThorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4)
in reply to Thorsten Leemhuis (acct. 1/4) • • •6/ To follow up once more:
@tuxedocomputers relicensed all full inhouse code in their driver package to GPLv2+ : gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/dev… 👍
They are working on doing the same for the remaining drivers.
They also submitted a updated version of the patchset making the #Linux #Kernel's module loader treat some of the modules as proprietary; the list of modules handled that way is much shorter now:
lore.kernel.org/all/2024111513…
CC: @waldi
Relicense all full inhouse code to GPLv2+ (dd34594a) · Commits · TUXEDO Computers / Development / Packages / tuxedo-drivers · GitLab
GitLab