Stirring more goop into the hole .... Requiring gcc-plugins, matching compiler versions and the same 'dwarf' format for OOT modules is probably very painful. In many cases (and this may include drivers released by some distributions) an OOT driver has two separate parts. One part is C source that is compiled when the module is built on the target system and against the installed kernel headers. Getting this to match 'just' relies on having the correct compiler (etc) installed and in $PATH. The second part is much more problematic. This is just an object file compiled by a third party. It doesn't directly depend on anything defined in the kernel headers - so can (currently) be linked into any kernel version. In the past some graphics drivers have had a third party object file. I think some of the laptop wifi drivers might as well. Now I some people think everything should be free source. But there are various commercial and practical reasons for both OOT drivers and object file 'blobs' in OOT drivers. David - Registered Address Lakeside, Bramley Road, Mount Farm, Milton Keynes, MK1 1PT, UK Registration No: 1397386 (Wales)
