this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2024
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Upstream Linux Developers Take Aim At TUXEDO's Out-Of-Tree GPLv3 Drivers (www.phoronix.com)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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A new patch series posted today to the Linux kernel mailing list would block kernel modules/drivers from TUXEDO Computers from accessing GPL-only symbols in the kernel.

TUXEDO Computers maintains a set of kernel drivers currently out-of-tree for their various laptops for additional functionality around power profiles, keyboard backlight controls, WMI, sensor monitoring, the embedded controller, and other functionality. They have said they want to eventually mainline these drivers but in the name of allowing for rapid hardware support they maintain them out-of-tree and ship them with their Ubuntu-based TUXEDO OS and also have the driver sources available via GitLab.

The issue at hand though is that these kernel drivers marked as GPLv3+ and that conflicts with the upstream Linux kernel code licensed as GPLv2. There was a commit to change the driver license from GPLv3 to GPL(v2) but was reverted by TUXEDO Computers on the basis of "until the legal stuff is sorted out."

Update: TUXEDO Computers Relicenses Some Of Their Drivers To GPLv2

As of yesterday, TUXEDO Computers has now been able to re-license their driver consisting of fully in-house code from GPLv3 to GPLv2+. These are the TUXEDO Computers drivers where it's all written by TUXEDO employees and not having to worry about code from any third-party developers or other vendors.

The gxtp7380, ite_8291, ite_8291_lb, ite_8297, stk8321, tuxedo_compatibility_check, tuxedo_nb02_nvidia_power_ctrl, and tuxedo_tuxi drivers are the initial ones able to be moved to the GPLv2+ licensing for satisfying upstream Linux kernel developers. Moving the other drivers to GPLv2+ will take longer due to needing to check with the associated parties that contributed to those drivers.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 month ago (5 children)

one of the awesome things about buying a linux laptop from a linux company like tuxedo is that you don't have to worry about things like this since they have paid developers who maintain their own distro to "take care" of things like this and buying one of these linux laptops has made my experience smooth and thought free as a mac user.

it's a double edge sword however: lemmy has taught me that smooth sailing with linux laptops keeps you unaware of the trouble that lurks beneath the surface and that's disconnected me from the general linux user experience and has gated me from understanding the common themes and problems they encounter; i've started a new linux build and this time i'm going to do it the same way everyone here does, with a windows laptop.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 month ago (3 children)

that's disconnected me from the general linux user experience

are we romanticizing having a broken system?

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago (2 children)

@bunitor @eldavi yeah, why? This just shows that, if more hardware companies actively supported linux, there would be no issues left for non-tech end users, which would be awesome.

Please buy laptops and desktops from tuxedo, system76, framework, etc, and recommend them. They're doing a great job and do deserve the support.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Please buy laptops and desktops from tuxedo, system76, framework, etc, and recommend them. They’re doing a great job and do deserve the support.

amen. i'll continue to buy from them for the things that i depend on (eg low cost personal servers and high end work laptops); but i plan to use a generic low-spec windows laptop for daily driving to teach me what the general linux user experience is like these days since lemmy is showing me that i still get something out of helping other people while i simultaneously get to leverage my knowledge and experience in an arena that's been enabling my life for these last 3 decades to do so.

it's bit like the mandates that i get from my management as an individual contributor; but more "WTF" and the "TIL's" that i get from it makes it more fun for me.

[–] theRealBassist 1 points 1 month ago

I use TuxedoOS on my desktop at home and it's been great there as well. Can't recommend it enough.

[–] that_leaflet 4 points 1 month ago

Preferably the drivers and quirks of the hardware would all be patched upstream so that you don’t need to use a distro with the fixes patched in.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

very much so in addition to creating a new project for myself that's exciting; that's a big deal to me because i can't remember the last time in decades that i felt any excitement over any linux based project.

i learn best by challenging my knowledge and it teaches me where i'm ignorant and i can use that specify which areas to focus my self education.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

i have a regular desktop computer and a very smooth user experience here, no complaints.

laptops can be hit or miss because of all the custom proprietary crud in them.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

laptops can be hit or miss because of all the custom proprietary stuff in them.

my experience is the same and that's why i'm going with a laptop; i wonder if the skills i've picked up since the last time i tried are going to help any since they're the kind of skills that get you paid in the linux world.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

selfhosting is more like that tbh. unless you mean cherrypicking and adapting drivers for your kernel and this sort of stuff.. general desktop troubleshooting helps to a point imo

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Agreed it's great that they provide firmware support and (hopefully) upstream it eventually. But I also hope they have well documented steps somewhere on how to install it on another distro, because it's likely many people install their own anyways.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

i'm glad you brought that up; lemmy has taught me that people will use those linux company distros w/o the support and it blows my mind and makes me agree that they should be upstreaming it; i know that system76 does (eventually) and i wonder if tuxedo or anyone else does as well.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

laroyê

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What are you talking about? I run (atomic) fedora and I have a smooth experience.

You could easily sell your mac and buy a normal computer to have a smooth experience if the mac results in lots of problems

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

i don't have a mac anymore; but this exactly why i'm pursing this project: the last time i did this fedora atomic didn't exist and i'm likely to encounter that it's more rock solid than the fedora distros that i used to daily drive with before buying a linux laptop directly from the linux factory.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

they have paid developers

They should pay lawyers as well.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Lawyers cost A LOT more than developers

[–] grue 16 points 1 month ago

Imagine having such a hard-on for letting corporations exploit your work in abusive Tivoized products that you stoop to retaliation against a company that's actually trying to protect their customers.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

why would they use the gplv3 in the first place? didn't they know it's incompatible with v2?

[–] grue 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They know it's better than v2.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

enjoy having the best blacklisted drivers on linux then i guess

[–] devfuuu 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Because the linux is explicitly only gpl2. If it was gpl2+ then gpl3 code could use it. It's a very known problem around the incompatibility of some licenses. The kernel people explicitly only want to use gpl2 and refuse changing the license because it's better for companies that want to use linux without giving back the code.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

did you understand my question?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago

kek if true

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Ah, that is why keyboard backlight stopped working on my Aura 2 last week.