<dd>

    <p>The GPL violation at issue involves VMware's ESXi product.

    Conservancy independently reviewed ESXi 5.5 and its incomplete

    release as part of our GPL enforcement efforts described above.</p>

    <p>Conservancy's preliminary investigation indicated that the operating

          <li> the proprietary component &ldquo;vmkernel&rdquo;, which is

            released in binary form only,</li>

            <li>the kernel module &ldquo;vmklinux&rdquo;, which contains modified Linux

            <li>other kernel modules with device drivers, most of which are

            modified Linux drivers, and for which (at least some) source code

              is provided.</li>

        </ul>

    <p>Conservancy examined the incomplete CCS alongside the

           in “vmkernel” do make function calls to Linux's kernel code

      in the usual way for a single program written in C.</p></dd>

           called <code>vmkdrivers/src_92/vmklinux_92/vmware/linux_pci.c</code>,

           which can be found in the “Open Source” release for

           ESXi 5.5.0 Update 2 (5.5U2).  A small excerpt from that file, found in the

<pre>

if (unlikely(

  /* NOTE: vmk_PCIGetDeviceName is defined in vmvisor64-vmkernel */

                        linuxDev->driver->remove,

                        linuxDev);

</pre>        

<p>The function, <code>vmk_PCIGetDeviceName()</code> must be defined, with an

      implementation, for this code above to work, or even compile.

      Inside <code>BLD/build/HEADERS/vmkapi-current-all-public/vmkernel64/release/device/vmkapi_pci_incompat.h</code>,

<p>Further evidence that the implementation of this function occurs elsewhere

  can by found by running <code>objdump -x</code> on the un-vmtar'ed

  <code>vmklinux_9</code> module.  Note the following output in the &ldquo;SYMBOL

<pre>

0000000000000000         *UND*  0000000000000000 vmk_PCIGetDeviceName

</pre>

…and the following lines found in the  “RELOCATION RECORDS FOR

[.text]” section:

<pre>

00000000000327ff R_X86_64_PC32     vmk_PCIGetDeviceName+0xfffffffffffffffc

00000000000387e1 R_X86_64_PC32     vmk_PCIGetDeviceName+0xfffffffffffffffc

000000000003cf40 R_X86_64_PC32     vmk_PCIGetDeviceName+0xfffffffffffffffc

</pre>

<p>The above two properties both suggest that the <code>vmklinux_9</code>

 module requires: (a) a definition of the <code>vmk_PCIGetDeviceName()</code>

  compressed data, was ‘vmvisor64-vmkernel.stripped’”.

  These findings strongly suggests this is an image of the

  &ldquo;vmkernel&rdquo; component.  An <code>objdump -x</code> yields this

<pre>

000041800036a408 g     F .text  0000000000000137 vmk_PCIGetDeviceName

</pre>

for  <code>vmk_PCIGetDeviceName</code>.</p>

<p>Finally, after detailed searching, Conservancy found no evidence that any

  yields similar results as above.</p>

<p>Given this evidence and related contextual clues, the only logical

    <ul><li><code>vmklinux_9</code>, as a binary object, dynamically links

 with <code>k.b00</code>, another binary object, to form a single running

 binary.</li>

      compliance requires source code (or an offer therefor) for the material

        in <code>k.b00</code>.</li>

    </ul>

<p>The above is but one piece of evidence among many, but hopefully it helps

  to explain the types of “combined work” violations found in

  VMware's ESXi product.</p>

<code>vmkapi_pci_incompat.h</code>, and <code>k.b00</code> files, as well as

    <code>vmklinux_9</code> and the source code that builds the latter.</p>

<ol>

<li>Visit <a href="https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?downloadGroup=ESXI55U2_OSS&productId=353">https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?downloadGroup=ESXI55U2_OSS&productId=353</a>.</li>

  f679e81ffb2f92729917bbc64c2d541cf75b5b94.</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>Register for an account at <a href="https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/registration">https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/registration</a>.</li>

<code>sb.v00</code>, similar to <code>misc_dri.v00</code> above.</li>

</ol>

  software from VMware's website.  Conservancy strongly suggests that you review these

  terms in great detail with the assistance of your own legal counsel before

  downloading the software and/or engaging in the process that Conservancy