Linux Driver ABI Stability

There has been a spark unleashing flames across many blogs, slashdot comments, mailing lists, and forums. Everyone is abuzz over the issue of the Linux kernel's ABI for device drivers.

The current Linux kernels do not define a stable ABI. Between releases, small tweaks to drivers are often necessary to keep up with little changes in the interface between those drivers and the kernel core. This means that every driver must be compiled for exactly the same version of Linux, and it makes for a difficult situation for hardware developers, who want to support Linux.

Now, everyone has something to say about it and no one seems pleased. Either you're outraged at the very suggestion of allow binary drivers to work reliably without releasing source code so customers can recompile their drivers with every kernel upgrade, or you can't possibly comprehend how anyone finds it a bad idea for manufacturers to be able to develop one binary driver they can release with their product and know that it will work when the user plugs in the card and copies the driver over.

Well, there are some points on both sides. While it is true that it violates the GPL to distribute binary only drivers with the Linux kernel, we don't have to distribute the drivers with the kernel. When you pick up a cheap Ethernet card and open the box, do you know what's on that little disc thingy? Drivers. We don't have to distribute drivers for every known hardware with every release of the kernel. Besides, I'm tired of downloaded ham radio drivers over and over. I never use them.

What baffles me is how no one seems to grasp the simple concept that if it is illegal to distribute them so, they won't (successfully) do so, without a battle they'll loose. That leaves the only benefits all for the users and kernel developers. The users will have better hardware support, and be able to get cousin Mindy to try Linux, finally. The developers can stop redeveloping drivers for devices that already have drivers, but for whatever reason do not have (good) Linux drivers, and they can then focus on the kernel itself.

Everyone wins with binary ABI stability. While we're at it, maybe we can get the ABI implemented in Vista and OS X, but with the best native implementation in Linux, of course.

A key thing to remember here is this: users do not want to recompile anything. Period. Source is nice to be available, and I think it should be, but source should be the option, not the necessity.