Re: licensing issue

[Erik Mouw <J.A.K.Mouw@ITS.TUDelft.NL>]

On Thu, Jul 05, 2001 at 09:31:48PM +0530, Raghav P wrote:
> Will these 2 scenarios cause any licensing issue under Linux/GPL:
> 
> (i) A bootloader that passes proprietary arguments(specific to a
> architecture) to linux kernel. I understand we need to open the Linux source
> code but should the bootloader source code be made open source?

I think you don't have to, the PC BIOS is also not open source and
still boots an open source kernel.

On the other hand: having an open source boot loader is really fun,
because you actually get patches and fixes contributed back. I started
blob (http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/blob/) as a LART specific
boot loader, but it is currently evolving into a generic StrongARM boot
loader.

> (ii) In case a downloadable module needs to export certain variables to the
> kernel and we have changed the kernel for this effect. Should the module's
> source code be made open source?

That's getting slippery, you should consult a lawyer about that.

Larry McVoy posted a very good advice on GPL licensing issues to the
linux kernel mailing list a couple of months ago:

  If you really want to know where you stand, it'll cost you around
  $15K and that, in my opinion, is fine. If it isn't worth $15K to
  protect your code then it is worth so little to you that there really
  is no good reason not to just GPL it from the start.


Erik

-- 
J.A.K. (Erik) Mouw, Information and Communication Theory Group, Department
of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Information Technology and Systems,
Delft University of Technology, PO BOX 5031,  2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-15-2783635  Fax: +31-15-2781843  Email: J.A.K.Mouw@its.tudelft.nl
WWW: http://www-ict.its.tudelft.nl/~erik/
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