Linux Kernel and GPL section 2c

Linux Kernel and GPL section 2c

[Kendrick Hamilton]

Hello all,
    I noticed the discussion about linux kernel modules that happened 
last week. I was wondering about something with regards to the linux 
kernel and Section 2c of the GPL. Why doesn't the kernel on booting 
print something about the kernel being free software licensed under the 
GPL, and shouldn't it?

please CC responses to hamilton@sedsystems.ca

Kendrick Hamilton

Re: Linux Kernel and GPL section 2c

[Jeremy Maitin-Shepard]

Kendrick Hamilton <hamilton@sedsystems.ca> writes:

> Hello all,
>     I noticed the discussion about linux kernel modules that happened last
>     week. I was wondering about something with regards to the linux kernel and
>     Section 2c of the GPL. Why doesn't the kernel on booting print something
>     about the kernel being free software licensed under the GPL, and shouldn't
>     it?

Presumably, 1) the kernel as a whole is not a "modified" work, but
rather at least parts of it are the original work, 2) it does not read
commands interactively when run, 3) it does not normally print such
announcements.

-- 
Jeremy Maitin-Shepard

Re: Linux Kernel and GPL section 2c

[Pavel Machek]

Hi!

> > Hello all,
> >     I noticed the discussion about linux kernel modules that happened last
> >     week. I was wondering about something with regards to the linux kernel and
> >     Section 2c of the GPL. Why doesn't the kernel on booting print something
> >     about the kernel being free software licensed under the GPL, and shouldn't
> >     it?
> 
> Presumably, 1) the kernel as a whole is not a "modified" work, but
> rather at least parts of it are the original work, 2) it does not read
> commands interactively when run, 3) it does not normally print such
> announcements.

I see such announcements. I think we should just kill them all:

Installing knfsd (copyright (C) 1996 okir@monad.swb.de).
CSLIP: code copyright 1989 Regents of the University of California.
Linux agpgart interface v0.100 (c) Dave Jones
ip_tables: (C) 2000-2002 Netfilter core team

Or perhaps we can replace 'POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX' with
'Distribute under GPLv2'?
									Pavel
-- 
When do you have a heart between your knees?
[Johanka's followup: and *two* hearts?]