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So, if a Microsoft kernel developer doesn't follow the practice of not reading kernel code with an incompatible license, does that mean we can assume they don't
by iokanuon 7y ago
So, if a Microsoft kernel developer doesn't follow the practice of not reading kernel code with an incompatible license, does that mean we can assume they don't follow it generally? Can we assume they take code from the Linux kernel, violating the GPL?
- anticensor 7y agoPossible.
- whereistimbo 7y agoDoesn't GPL actually offer a person a freedom to study the code? Isn't it a common phenomena of rewriting GPL Linux Driver into BSD Licensed driver which will be put into mainline *BSD? I know the case of OpenBSD 'stealing' GPL code from broadcom linux driver, but it was done by a naive kernel developer who copy-pasted the code and the maintainer who didn't bother to check the authenticity of the code. But AFAIK no GPL driver writer has a problem with the driver being rewritten into BSD licence.
- iokanuon 7y agoMS Windows kernel code is far from being BSD licensed though.
- jki275 7y agoGPL is absolutely incompatible with BSD licensing. The license does not allow for one to "rewrite" the same code into a BSD licensed driver. Of course one could clean room reverse engineer the GPL driver and then give the spec to someone else to implement and create a BSD driver, that would probably be ok.
- Crestwave 7y agoNot exactly incompatible, as you can license something under both of them at once. But yes, you cannot relicense it without permission from the contributors; this is true for pretty much any license.
- jki275 7y agoRight, of course the rights holder can license under anything they want. But no one else can take GPL code and relicense it under BSD. The same is not true the other way -- anyone can use BSD code.