From: Greg Kroah-Hartman Subject: Notify non-GPL module loading will be going away in January 2008 Numerous kernel developers feel that loading non-GPL drivers into the kernel violates the license of the kernel and their copyright. Because of this, a one year notice for everyone to address any non-GPL compatible modules has been set. Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman --- Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt | 9 +++++++++ kernel/module.c | 7 ++++++- 2 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) --- gregkh-2.6.orig/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt +++ gregkh-2.6/Documentation/feature-removal-schedule.txt @@ -272,3 +272,12 @@ Why: Speedstep-centrino driver with ACPI Who: Venkatesh Pallipadi --------------------------- + +What: non-GPL-licensed modules will no longer be loaded. +When: January 2008 +Why: Numerous kernel developers feel that loading non-GPL drivers into the + kernel violates the license of the kernel and their copyright. + +Who: Greg Kroah-Hartman + +--------------------------- --- gregkh-2.6.orig/kernel/module.c +++ gregkh-2.6/kernel/module.c @@ -1393,9 +1393,14 @@ static void set_license(struct module *m license = "unspecified"; if (!license_is_gpl_compatible(license)) { - if (!(tainted & TAINT_PROPRIETARY_MODULE)) + if (!(tainted & TAINT_PROPRIETARY_MODULE)) { printk(KERN_WARNING "%s: module license '%s' taints " "kernel.\n", mod->name, license); + printk(KERN_WARNING "%s: This module will not be able " + "to be loaded in any kernel released after " + "January 1, 2008 due to its license.\n", + mod->name); + } add_taint_module(mod, TAINT_PROPRIETARY_MODULE); } }