Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 07:06:12 -0500 From: David Leimbach <leimy2k@mac.com> To: Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> Cc: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: policy on GPL'd drivers? Message-ID: <C6841B00-9104-11D7-A71D-0003937E39E0@mac.com> In-Reply-To: <3ED455E5.55EE34DC@mindspring.com>
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On Wednesday, May 28, 2003, at 01:23 AM, Terry Lambert wrote: > Q wrote: >> I have been burnt by this in the past also. I think that it would be >> useful if you could allow kernel modules to be bound to a particular >> kernel "version/date/whatever", and have external modules refuse to >> load >> and/or complain if the kernel is upgraded. This should prevent >> unnecessary kernel panics when you upgrade. The Linux kernel has been >> doing this for years. > > The FreeBSD DDI/DKI is not well enough documented, let alone > versioned, let alone stable enough over time for this to work. > > Consider how long a third party binary-only driver would keep > working for someone following -current, and you will see the > problem. > I think for current all bets are off anyway. I think supporting a 3rd party driver should really only "have-to" support releases. Now I may have to re-evaluate that thought for a stable tree as there is a level of confidence there that everything else will probably still work... it could be tricky :) [just scrambling to put the worms back in the can] Dave
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