#include <hallo.h> Walter Landry wrote on Mon Sep 24, 2001 um 10:44:03AM:
> > But how does this comply with the GPL? As far as I can see, the kernel > > guys have been doing this for a while (see below) and the kernel is > > still GPLed. > > This was a point of some contention a few months ago. Look at the > discussions in April on debian-legal under > > Copyright infringement in linux/drivers/usb/serial/keyspan*fw.h I did. But in this case, there are no heavy restrictions. The data file itself is under the GPL as a source file. > > The files Root and Dpram are distributed with the source package. Even if > > they contain binary code, it cannot be executed as part of any other GPLed > > code. GPL covers these files as prepared data accompanying the GPL program. > > Their content is to be treated as source code. You may use, distribute and > > modify it UNDER THE TERMS OF GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE. Contact > > 'convergence > > integrated media GmbH' <http://www.convergence.de> for any further questions > > about the creation of these files. > > the phrase "it cannot be executed as part of any other GPLed code" > certainly makes it GPL incompatible. This means we can't distribute That is a bit irritating. That means not "you are not allowed to execute", that means "the code cannot run on the host machine". It is only copied into the hardware part. > There is also the question about whether the firmware is in the > "preferred form for modification", as required by the GPL. You may > want to contact the copyright holders to ask what is their preferred That is a good question. If the files are "source code", someone is allowed to modify them by editing that hex code. I asked the copyright holders about that issue and got still no answer. OTOH the package has been distributed on the net for a long while with the GPL license, so they cannot just revert the copyright change. Gruss/Regards, Eduard. -- "NT ist auch ein UNIX - es ist ja schließlich in C geschrieben." -- Compaq Techsupport Hotline
