al davis wrote: > If they are packaged separately, so a user can choose either > part, without the other.
> > Suppose I want to distribute a "system" composed of > two "modules" .. "A" and "B". "A" is GPL. "B" is > proprietary. It doesn't work. However, I can sell you "A" > and "B" separately and let you plug them together. DJ Delorie wrote: > A suitable API would be something that *is* intended to allow for > arbitrary expansion, or if there are GPL equivalents for both sides, > such as the Linux syscall ABI or GIMP plugins, or if the API follows > some previously published API, such as an i2c bus. Thanks. That makes me think my ideas of having a low power functioning power supply need to be very generic. No sharing of similar tasks just because the GPL-based processor is idle for a while. The power module will sell separately, and have a signal over SPI or I2C that tells the GPL-based system what power conservation mode we are in, signals can generate interrupts, GPL-based system time is available as a generic input to the power supply program, including GPL-based system "awake time slots". The combination of modules may use interdependent communication between control code, but each module just switches to a less optimized, still functional mode when the communication is gone, (when they are used separately). Another kind of proprietary machine I am thinking of combining with a GPL-based system is a DSP where a datastream in results in a datastream out. That separates based on the reasoning they are physically serparated for sale, and customer does hookup, any generic processor can supply the input datastream, which flows over a prepublished bus or writing data DMA-style to one memory location decoded address, and data length to another decoded address. See any snags? Hmmm... now I see why the open hardware/software projects I am involved with, TinyOS and ConTiki, use BSD style licensing... John Griessen -- Ecosensory Austin TX tinyOS devel on: ubuntu Linux; tinyOS v2.0.2; telosb ecosens1 _______________________________________________ geda-user mailing list [email protected] http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-user
