On Mon, 2016-08-15 at 21:15 +0100, Alan Cox wrote: > > This is the module tag ... it says what licence the module is > > under, not the licence for the module combined with the kernel, > > which is always GPLv2 because the stricter licence rules. > > Because if I build a BSD licensed module against the kernel, give you > the binaries and refuse to give you the source I am conforming to the > BSD licence in letter. No, you can't. Forget dual licensing for a minute: I can produce a Linux kernel module under a pure BSD licence because BSD is compatible with GPL. However, if we assume for the sake of argument that a binary module is a derived work of Linux, producing and distributing the binary for the module brings the combination under GPLv2 via the derivative works clause and I'm required to offer you corresponding source code in spite of the fact that my module *only* has a BSD licence. The only known get out from this is if I make *you* produce the binary (the open source shim defence). > So to use it with the kernel it needs to be GPL with additional > rights (eg BSD including the source...) I'm not quite sure what you're disagreeing over? Is it semantics of a Dual BSD/GPL licence vs a GPL with additional rights one? Dual licensed code is a well settled area: the ruling licence is the one which permits the action. So for a dual licencesed kernel module, if I compile the module as a binary and distribute it, I'm required to follow all the provisions of GPLv2 i.e. make you and offer of corresponding source. Conversely, if I cut and paste a section of the driver source code into a BSD driver, I'm permitted to do this under the BSD licence, so the pasted code doesn't carry GPLv2 contamination into BSD. You can certainly call the Dual BSD/GPL licence a GPL licence with additional permission to include the source code in a BSD licensed system, but it's not a precise equivalence because a true Dual Licensed BSD/GPL driver may be cut and pasted into any code which is compatible either with the BSD or GPL licences, meaning it's actually less strict than your additional permission to include into BSD. James -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kbuild" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
