If that change is accepted and implemented I would like to add a request:
WHEN such an extenal plugin is loaded into ethereal, a small click-through
dialog would be displayed
stating something like "An external protocol decoder has now been loaded
into ethereal.
The ethereal developers can not provide any support or assistence for
problems or crashes you might encounter. After loading this module, if you
experience any problems with ethereal you should contact
whoever provided this module to you. Do NOT report problems or ask for
troubleshooting help on any of the ethereal mailing lists. Thankyou."
An observation: what use would that change acheive? I cant see any use
really.
What would providing a binary module provide in regards to keeping the
protocol description secret?
1, If this binary module is distributed, anyone with access to the module
could very easily
reconstruct the entire protocol anyway by using text2pcap and a few hours of
spare time.
Shellscript something looping over every possible value and feed it into
text2pcap, read the resulting
capture into ethereal+module. Write down what you see. Implement new
decoder using what you saw in the previous step. I have done so so I know
how simple it would be. See packet-netlogon.c
2, If this module is NOT distributed it wouldnt matter one bit if the source
code is provided or not.
If the code is not distributed, there is no need to provide the source code
either.
GPL only matters if you plan to redistribute the code, not one bit if you
use it for internal use.
From: Dinesh
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2002 5:38 PM
Subject: [Ethereal-dev] Request: Change the allowed license of plugins
> Folks,
>
> I'm writing to request a change to the licensing of plugin modules in
order to
> permit the release of plugins for proprietary protocols. I'm proposing
that we
> change the licensing of the plugin API as per:
>
http://www.fsf.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#TOCLinkingOverControlledInterface
>
> This change will allow plugins for proprietary protocols to be released
without
> being affected by GPL. The problem with GPL - according to conservative
> interpretations - is that it nullifies any patent on the proprietary
protocol
> if the decoder is based on GPL. So, companies that are interested in
releasing
> decoders for proprietary protocols, will not do so to avoid the legal
> ramifications of GPL licensing.
>
> Ethereal is a very popular decoder that can only benefit from being able
to
> decode proprietary protocols giving it another powerful and distinct
advantage
> over commercial decoders.
>
> I welcome your comments as well as other alternatives I may not have
> considered. Thanks,
>
> Dinesh