Re: [dev] c++-style comments [was fsbm]

From: <random832_AT_fastmail.us>
Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:34:40 -0500

On Thu, Nov 6, 2014, at 16:47, Sylvain BERTRAND wrote:
> Linus T. does let closed source modules live (even so the GNU GPLv2 gives
> legal
> power to open the code, or block binary blob distribution, like what
> happens
> with mpeg video or 3D texture compression),

There's a significant amount of debate over what constitutes an 'arms
length' interaction between two pieces of code and what makes them
effectively a single piece of code. GNU takes the position that sharing
the same address space in any way is the latter, and that normal
interaction through files/pipes/sockets is the former (because it would
be politically inconvenient for them to push too far) so long as it's
not a specially defined protocol that only exists for that single pair
of programs. The kernel people as far as I know take the position that
sharing the same address space is okay so long as they only use certain
approved APIs intended for use by modules - and that userspace-kernel
interaction via normal system calls is always okay. None of this has
been examined by a court.
Received on Fri Nov 07 2014 - 02:34:40 CET