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But in Windows drivers are binary files which talk to the kernel through an API. Not much different than a binary user mode application. If binary user mode applications written in GPL are ok, then so should this.


> Not much different than a binary user mode application.

well, user-mode applications do syscalls to the kernel, not direct function calls.


But the actual syscall is made by a Windows user mode library - kernel32.dll/... So your GPL user mode app calls directly into proprietary Windows library.


That is specifically allowed by the GNU GPL. See "System Libraries" and adjacent paragraphs.


There is a mention of "System Libraries" in GPLv3, but not GPLv2, which the Linux kernel is licensed under.


There are similar provisions in GPLv2.




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