Re: loop driver (was Loop Encryption)

Andrew E. Mileski (aem@netcom.ca)
Sat, 3 May 1997 19:48:27 -0400 (EDT)

The kernel currently has hooks for easily adding encryption (DES and
IDEA are even refered to in the source)! This surely can't be legal.
Worst of all, such things DON'T have to be in the kernel source
(especially since they don't work on their own anyways).

One idea for the loop driver (probably not original though), is to
remove all traces of encryption from it - they don't belong in an
international piece of software anyways. Same goes for the supporting
software (mount & losetup). It is also a bitch to maintain code
scattered far and wide, and covered by various laws, rituals, and
dress codes.

I'd like to consider changing the loop driver to allow plug-in modules.
This would be like the current PPP compressor. Each plug-in would register
its transfer functions with the loop driver. If necessary, utilities could
use ioctls and such to fill any special needs of a plug-in.

We can't stop people from adding GPS and navigation software to linux,
and building a cruise missle with it, so I think this would be
A Good Thing(tm) legally. Tomasz Motylewski wrote me and stated,
"...And we are very surprised that someone uses PGP and other strange
and slow compression modules ;-)"

Comments?

--
Andrew E. Mileski   mailto:aem@netcom.ca
Linux Plug-and-Play Hardware Support http://www.redhat.com/linux-info/pnp/
XFree86 Matrox Team http://www.bf.rmit.edu.au/~ajv/xf86-matrox.html