Luis Chamberlain sent out the modules changes today for the Linux 6.6 merge window. Most notable with the modules update is a change that better builds up the defenses against NVIDIA’s proprietary kernel driver from using GPL-only symbols. Or in other words, bits that only true open-source drivers should be utilizing and not proprietary kernel drivers like NVIDIA’s default Linux driver in respecting the original kernel code author’s intent.
Back in 2020 when the original defense was added, NVIDIA recommended avoiding the Linux 5.9 for the time being. They ended up having a supported driver several weeks later. It will be interesting to see this time how long Linux 6.6+ thwarts their kernel driver.
This does not sound reasonable to me. Cloud AI is really strongly dependent on both Nvidia and Linux. In the building across from my office is an AI research lab with about $2M worth of Nvidia cards and using Linux is 100% non-negotiable. And that lab is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. Think about all the data centres and research labs out there that are completely dependent on both Nvidia and Linux. I don’t think Nvidia would so flippantly say “welp, the kernel developers are being mean, so we’re going to stop participating in the cloud computing and research market”.
This is twisting the screws on their revenue stream in a significant way. I don’t know what they’ll do: comply, get more sneaky, try to sue. But I don’t think they’ll just give up.