We are specifically addressing what happens when you take a Linux kernel (or any other GPL code), modify it, and bundle it with proprietary software, in such a

We are specifically addressing what happens when you take a Linux kernel (or any other GPL code), modify it, and bundle it with proprietary software, in such a way that neither the free nor proprietary software function without the other. I am arguing that, regardless of the technical details, this constitutes a derived work (and not, as is commonly argued, an "aggregate"). The FSF gently disagrees with me. Tellingly, they won't commit to a clear distinction between "derived" and "mere aggregate", calling it a "legal question", but suggest that "a proper criterion depends both on the mechanism of communication (exec, pipes, rpc, function calls within a shared address space, etc.) and the semantics of the communication (what kinds of information are interchanged)." I say this is a classic nerd mistake of reaching for technical solutions to social problems - the true criterion should be something more like "can the user run these components independently?".