ReactOS GPL vs. proprietary drivers (affirmation)

[Jan Kratochvil]

Hi,

As GPLed Linux-NTFS still has no NTFS r/w capability I completed the project
for reliable r/w access in Wine way by using MS-Windows ntfs.sys driver.

Captive-NTFS
    http://www.jankratochvil.net/

My project is GPL-2.0 and it incorporates ReactOS kernel sources currently also
carrying GPL-2.0 license. There are rumours GPL may be problem for linking with
proprietary code (ntfs.sys&ntoskrnl.exe). I interpret it as GPL only affects
_distribution_ of the program while no proprietary code is distributed with my
package. Proprietary code is only run-time linked by the end-user.

In a GPL-related discussion here two monts ago ReactOS developers were open for
reusal of existing proprietary drivers for ReactOS as one of the significant
feature of ReactOS. I would like an affirmation from the major ReactOS
developers they are not going to try to sue me for releasing Captive NTFS.

Thanks,
Jan Kratochvil

[Steven Edwards]

Hello Jan,
Comments are inline.

--- Jan Kratochvil [e-mail]
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> As GPLed Linux-NTFS still has no NTFS r/w capability I completed the
> project
> for reliable r/w access in Wine way by using MS-Windows ntfs.sys
> driver.
>
> Captive-NTFS
>    http://www.jankratochvil.net/

I have forwarded this reply to wine-devel as they my find captive NTFS
interesting
> My project is GPL-2.0 and it incorporates ReactOS kernel sources
> currently also
> carrying GPL-2.0 license. There are rumours GPL may be problem for
> linking with
> proprietary code (ntfs.sys&ntoskrnl.exe). I interpret it as GPL only
> affects
> _distribution_ of the program while no proprietary code is
> distributed with my
> package. Proprietary code is only run-time linked by the end-user.
>
> In a GPL-related discussion here two monts ago ReactOS developers
> were open for
> reusal of existing proprietary drivers for ReactOS as one of the
> significant
> feature of ReactOS. I would like an affirmation from the major
> ReactOS
> developers they are not going to try to sue me for releasing Captive
> NTFS.

I dont think you have to worry about any ReactOS developers filing
suit. I would be more worried about one from Microsoft =). In fact I am
very happy to see this. I would like to see the interface you have
developed evolve in to a a full compatiblty layer addon for WINE so
they can support other drivers. I must confess I have not had a chance
to look at the code but if it works as you say then this is great news!
If you dont distribute Captive NTFS with a Microsoft NTFS driver then
you should not have a problem. You are correct the GPL seems to only
cover distribution not use.

Thanks
Steven

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