what does GPL say about this?

fenderman11111 · 02-04-2005, 02:38 PM

This is a completely rhetorical question.

Let's say Microsoft wanted to implement a compatibility layer for programs written in linux.

If they borrowed GPL'd code from the Linux kernel, would they have to make the entire windows OS gpl, or just certain modules? Or would they have to write their own compatibility layer from scratch in order to sell it? I was just wondering this, and I figured that someone would know the answer here.

jailbait · 02-04-2005, 03:42 PM

"If they borrowed GPL'd code from the Linux kernel, would they have to make the entire windows OS gpl, or just certain modules?"

They would just have to release the modules containing the GPL code under the GPL. The problem for Microsoft is that one of the design criteria for Windows is that the Microsoft programs be bundled to the point that they cannot be separated by a court order. As a result the Microsoft code is better described as "scrambled" rather than modular. If Microsoft takes a GPL module and incorporates it into Windows they may have to add small segments of GPL code into a lot of different code segments throughout what passes for "modules" in Windows. The net effect may be that all of Windows would have to be released under the GPL.

"Or would they have to write their own compatibility layer from scratch in order to sell it?"

If they wanted to write their own compatibility code it probably would not be a "layer" as any self respecting software architect would design it. It would be segments of code scattered throughout Windows. This would simply be another case of Microsoft having to rewrite Windows in order to add a new application.

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Steve Stites

trickykid · 02-04-2005, 04:24 PM

This is the reason why Microsoft most likely uses BSD code, they don't have to tell anyone..

bulliver · 02-04-2005, 08:00 PM

Quote:

This is the reason why Microsoft most likely uses BSD code, they don't have to tell anyone

He he, I heard if you run strings on certain windows .dll's you can see:

Code:

Copyright 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

fenderman11111 · 02-05-2005, 02:25 AM

thanks jailbait, that was very enlightening.

bigjohn · 02-07-2005, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by trickykid
This is the reason why Microsoft most likely uses BSD code, they don't have to tell anyone..

Which where I understood they got the TCP/IP stack from in the first place?????? Or was that just a rumour ??

ttfn

John

scuzzman · 02-07-2005, 10:08 PM

No - it's true. The implemented BSD's version of Berkely Sockets and TCP/IP