Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1752873AbXFNEK4 (ORCPT ); Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:10:56 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1751162AbXFNEKs (ORCPT ); Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:10:48 -0400 Received: from paragon.brong.net ([66.232.154.163]:58734 "EHLO paragon.brong.net" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751039AbXFNEKr (ORCPT ); Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:10:47 -0400 Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:10:41 +1000 From: Bron Gondwana To: Alan Cox Cc: Chris Adams , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3 Message-ID: <20070614041041.GA6788@brong.net> References: <20070614013214.GA1124293@hiwaay.net> <20070614025248.6e0f72f0@the-village.bc.nu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20070614025248.6e0f72f0@the-village.bc.nu> Organization: brong.net User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.15+20070412 (2007-04-11) Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1757 Lines: 41 On Thu, Jun 14, 2007 at 02:52:48AM +0100, Alan Cox wrote: > > What if TiVo had put the kernel in a burned-in ROM (not flash, or on a > > flash ROM with no provision for reprogramming it)? Would that also > > violate the "spirit" of the GPL? Must any device that wishes to include > > GPL code include additional hardware to support replacing that code > > (even if that hardware is otherwise superfluous)? > > As a PS to the GPL3 comment here is the basic difference > > ROM - I can't modify the code on the device > The creator can't modify the code further on the device > > Tivo - I can't modify the code on the device > The owner can modify the code Tivo gets sick of the endless flamewars on lkml, signs a copy of QNX, pushes it out to the hardware. No more Linux on Tivo. You also can't replace that but Tivo can. As I see it the two are completely orthagonal: a) Can anyone but the manufacturer upload new software into a a device without taking extreme measures (soldering a new public-key-containing-chip onto the board) b) Is the software currently installed on a device licenced under a rule which requires the distributor to also distribute source code upon request. Now I think it would reasonable to ask that the source code be able to be built by [same compiler, same flags, same ...] to produce an identical binary to the one running on the device so you can confirm that it's exactly the same code. That's separate from being able to upload a changed binary. Bron. - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/