This article by Kevin Dankwardt explores the issue of whether non-GPL loadable Linux drivers are really not a problem. While many Linux developers assume that binary-only drivers are acceptable, there are growing technical reasons to avoid them. New features in tools and in the Linux kernel hamper the acceptability of non-GPL loadable modules. Also, the widely held belief that non-GPL loadable modules do not violate the Linux kernel's GPL license, due to an exception authorized by Linus Torvalds, is called into question.

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