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#1 2011-08-13 09:58:53

yossarianuk
Member
Registered: 2007-05-02
Posts: 103

Legality issue - Need to break GPL to install nvidia rt driver ...

Hi

I am the maintainer of the nvidia-rt AUR parckage - http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=12132

It seems that latest real time patch for Linux 3.0.x uses a kernel symbol  - EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(migrate_enable).

This prevents the Nvidia driver installing on that kernel  - which uses the license 'Nvidia' instead of GPL.

see my nvnews thread

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=165238

To get round this I could either change the rt patch and remove the symbol or I could change the Nvidia kernel module from nvidia to gpl

Either way I would be breaking the GPL or the Nvidia license.

My question is:-

Am I able to do this in a PKGBUILD file legally ?

- As I will not be distributing a binary package will this be o.k - the patching would be done on a users pc...

Anyone know for sure?

The last thing I want to do is break the GPL which is the basis of so much in the OSS world.

If anyone knows for sure or knows where I can ask please let me know..

Regards

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#2 2011-08-13 10:10:35

fukawi2
Ex-Administratorino
From: .vic.au
Registered: 2007-09-28
Posts: 6,217
Website

Re: Legality issue - Need to break GPL to install nvidia rt driver ...

Seems like a bad idea... I think the best sounding option is:
1) The nvidia driver is now legally incompatible with the RT kernel; therefore can't be legally used.
2) Ask nvidia if it can be fixed.

As for AUR vs Patching on the User PC.... I know that's how VirtualBox and other proprietary packages were distributed on the AUR; the binaries are not distributed, only a script to assist in downloading the source and making binaries which is legal. However in this case, you would be assisting someone to break a license with that script, so I think it would be a legal grey-area very similar to TPB not distributing illegal content, just the files required to obtain the illegal content.

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#3 2011-08-13 10:12:50

Pierre
Developer
From: Bonn
Registered: 2004-07-05
Posts: 1,964
Website

Re: Legality issue - Need to break GPL to install nvidia rt driver ...

You are allowed to modify the rt patch as it hast to comply to the GPL.

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#4 2011-08-13 11:12:22

yossarianuk
Member
Registered: 2007-05-02
Posts: 103

Re: Legality issue - Need to break GPL to install nvidia rt driver ...

Thanks for the responses...

Pierre, I didn't 100% understand yours - did you mean :-

you are 'not' allowed ...

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#5 2011-08-13 11:27:41

schivmeister
Developer/TU
From: Singapore
Registered: 2007-05-17
Posts: 971
Website

Re: Legality issue - Need to break GPL to install nvidia rt driver ...

I think a nudge to the rt maintainers would be good, just to let them know about this, in case they can do something about it. AFAICR this was the same issue Catalyst had, but we all patched the kernel to export the affected functions normally without the GPL and even redistributed the resulting binary packages. At that time, though, I didn't really think much of it, whereas now I'd be very concerned.


I need real, proper pen and paper for this.

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#6 2011-08-14 01:24:52

ngoonee
Forum Fellow
From: Between Thailand and Singapore
Registered: 2009-03-17
Posts: 7,354

Re: Legality issue - Need to break GPL to install nvidia rt driver ...

schivmeister wrote:

I think a nudge to the rt maintainers would be good, just to let them know about this, in case they can do something about it. AFAICR this was the same issue Catalyst had, but we all patched the kernel to export the affected functions normally without the GPL and even redistributed the resulting binary packages. At that time, though, I didn't really think much of it, whereas now I'd be very concerned.

I'm maintaining linux-rt-ice, and I've already asked on the rt-list about this previously. They (rt maintainers) will not export non-GPL, based on the replies I got. Because of that I have not patched the rt-patch in linux-rt-ice, nor will I include a patch for nvidia in nvidia-beta-all.

As I understand it, self-patching on my own machine is okay, but not distributing the patches.


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jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
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