Luis Chamberlain sent out the modules changes today for the Linux 6.6 merge window. Most notable with the modules update is a change that better builds up the defenses against NVIDIA’s proprietary kernel driver from using GPL-only symbols. Or in other words, bits that only true open-source drivers should be utilizing and not proprietary kernel drivers like NVIDIA’s default Linux driver in respecting the original kernel code author’s intent.

Back in 2020 when the original defense was added, NVIDIA recommended avoiding the Linux 5.9 for the time being. They ended up having a supported driver several weeks later. It will be interesting to see this time how long Linux 6.6+ thwarts their kernel driver.

  • intelati@programming.dev
    1·
    1 year ago

    Riddle me this, why is there such a thing as proprietary drivers for anything? Especially consumer facing products like this?

    Don’t you want anyone and anything using your product in any situation? Help me understand NVIDIA’s bit with this?

    • Blackmist@feddit.ukEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      I assume nVidia have licensed other code that they don’t have the rights to distribute the source code for.

      I get what the GPL fans want here, but it’s just going to lead to a gimped driver, no driver, or an even larger shim between the open and closed source bits. The Linux market is too small for nVidia to care.

      • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        1 year ago

        The Linux market is too small for nVidia to care.

        The Linux gaming market is too small for Nvidia to care, but the GPU computing market isn’t.

        • Blackmist@feddit.ukEnglish
          0·
          1 year ago

          So we can add “use an older kernel” and “use a modified kernel with that protection removed” to the list of options.

          • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            0·
            1 year ago

            Using an older kernel isn’t a long-term solution. And according to the kernel devs, either using and older kernel in that way or modifying the kernel to remove these protections still violates the license even if it bypasses the technical protections.

            (I’m guessing Nvidia will keep shimming and rely on either not being sued or winning the lawsuit.)

  • 𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏@lemmy.one
    1·
    1 year ago

    Oh wow the comments on Phoronix for this one are bonkers.

    From what I understand (because it wasn’t clear to me from either of the TLDRs posted here) Nvidia’s proprietary graphics driver has been calling parts of the kernel that they shouldn’t be, because their driver is closed source.

    These seem to be parts of the kernel that another company may own patents to, but has only licensed it to the kernel for free use with GPL open source code only, i.e. closed source/proprietary code is not allowed to use it.

    Nvidia seems to have open sourced a tiny communication shim to try and bypass this restriction, so their closed source driver talks to the shim, and the shim talks to the restricted code in the kernel, that Nvidia does not have a license to use. This is a DMCA violation, hence why the Kernel devs are putting in preventions to block the shim, as far as I can see.

    I don’t understand the small minority of commenters there defending a la soulless corp Nvidia, who is blatantly in the wrong here. Some commenters have gone as far as to call the Linux kernel maintainers “zealots”, would not be surprised if they are alts for Nvidia devs…

    Edit: typo