[PATCH 1/2] powerpc: export ppc_tb_freq so that modules can reference it

[Scott Wood]

On Sat, 18 Sep 2010 14:22:12 -0400
Josh Boyer <jwboyer at gmail.com> wrote:

> Capitalizing?  The patch you posted that uses this symbol is for a GPL
> driver so you gain or lose nothing by having this symbol be
> EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL.  Are you somehow advocating and getting some sort
> of gain by allowing non-GPL modules?  If so, I find that unfortunate.
> If not, then I guess I don't understand what you mean by capitalizing.

One can dislike DRM (even a very weak form such as this) without having
a particular desire to go outside the bounds of what it allows.

I thought EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL was originally meant to indicate the
symbols whose use is likely to be indicitave of code that is, in some
copyright-meaningful way, derived from GPL code?  I have a hard time
seeing that being the case here.  If every symbol is made GPL-only,
then that just gives the binary-only people[1] more incentive to
circumvent the entire mechanism.  It loses its meaning.

Documentation/DocBook/kernel-hacking.tmpl says, "It implies that the
function is considered an internal implementation issue, and not really
an interface."

-Scott

[1] Plus anyone who might want to make a kernel module out of code
which is open source, but not under a license the GPLv2 is compatible
with.