Linux Kernel 6.6 Will Curtail Unethical Practices of NVIDIA Closed-Source Drivers
Linux Kernel 6.6 Will Curtail Unethical Practices of NVIDIA Closed-Source Drivers
Linux Kernel 6.6 Will Curtail Unethical Practices of NVIDIA Closed-Source Drivers.
The Linux Kernel development team has recently announced that the upcoming Linux 6.6 version will enhance the kernel module mechanism to better defend against unethical practices by NVIDIA’s closed-source drivers.
Linux Kernel developer Christoph Hellwig discovered that NVIDIA had recently circumvented protections added to the kernel in 2020 by importing symbols from proprietary modules into modules claimed to have GPL licenses, and then re-exporting these symbols. These protections were designed to prevent proprietary modules from using symbols licensed under GPL.
Considering that symbol_get was originally intended for the very internal use of non-GPL symbols within closely cooperating modules, restricting it to only be used with EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL exported symbols is reasonable and can prevent NVIDIA from expensive legal battles trying to bypass access controls through the DMCA.
Linux 6.6 will only allow symbol_get to obtain symbols from EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL modules to defend against NVIDIA’s evasion tactics. This will reinforce the kernel’s protection against proprietary modules using open-source symbols.
When the first protection measure was added in 2020, NVIDIA advised users to avoid using Linux 5.9, but later they released supported drivers within weeks. The extent to which Linux 6.6 will hinder their proprietary kernel drivers remains to be seen. At least NVIDIA has been maintaining open-source GPU kernel drivers since last year, which can serve as an alternative to their proprietary kernel drivers.
This improvement reflects the open-source community’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the GPL license. Open-source drivers undoubtedly offer a better choice for users.
We look forward to future kernel enhancements further limiting unethical practices by proprietary drivers, thus upholding the interests of the open-source community.
