Re: [open-vm-tools-devel] Windows drivers (Was Re: VMTools for other OSes)

[Anthony L. <an...@co...>]

Ragavan S wrote:
> Hi Anthony,
>
> I wanted to get some clarification from you about something. In a 
> previous message you said:
>
> " What would be ideal is if VMware could provide a VM-Tools ISO for
> Windows that contained the various PV drivers with a non-restrictive
> EULA. Namely, that it could be redistributed by anyone and could be
> used for anything. Providing source code for Windows drivers is not
> easy as far as I've been told so I think it's understandable if it was
> binary-only."
>
> What are the potential usage scenarios you are trying to address here? 
> Are you looking to bundle these Windows binaries as is so that once 
> you port the linux/unix drivers over to your platform, you can then 
> bundle them all together and provide virtual machine tools for linux, 
> unix AND windows guests for your platform? Are you planning on writing 
> some wrappers around these binaries? Or do you have some other use 
> cases in mind?

I want to be add support to QEMU for open-vm-tools.  Actually, I've 
already done that for the most part.  I've got patches that are working 
and we already support vmmouse and the VMware VGA interface.  We can 
currently use the Open Source version of these tools/drivers on Linux 
quite happily.

It would be really nice if we could use the Windows drivers too.  We can 
just compile open-vm-tools for Windows (I haven't tried, but it looks 
possible).  VMware has not release the source though for the VGA and 
vmmouse drivers though.  I understand that the Windows DDK makes it 
difficult to release source for Windows drivers.

So what I would like to see, if for VMware to make available the current 
binary Windows drivers for things like VMware VGA and vmmouse under a 
license that would allow redistribution and use in something other than 
VMware (namely, QEMU/KVM).  They already work under QEMU it's just that 
the EULA prevents them from being used legally.

The practical effect of this would be that instead of having to develop 
our own paravirtual graphics driver, we (QEMU/KVM) could just 
standardize on the VMware VGA driver.  Without Windows guest support, 
that's not really a viable option.

> The more detail you can provide the better. It will be useful to our 
> legal person as well(especially if the EULA needs to be modified).

I hope that's clear, please let me know if you need any more info.
> Thanks,
> Ragavan
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