Shachar Shemesh wrote: > Omer Zak wrote: > > > Where can I find information about the following issues: > > 1. Using GPLed software on embedded hardware, where the software is on > > ROM and cannot be modified by regular users. > > No matter. They still get the binary, they still get the sources, and > they can still create derived work if they so wish. You are not required > to LET them modify your product. They can burn a new ROM if they wish.
One way I solved the problem, btw, was to design a dual processor unit. The main processor will run linux, and use high level calls to get/put data from the auxiliary processor. An example of the is the "keyboard bios" on a PC. The chip that communicates with the keyboard is a microprocessor with its programing burned into ROM on it. You can't read it, you can't write it, and it definitly ain't GPL'ed. The calls to it in the Linux kernel are well documented and GPL, but modifying them won't modify the function of the aux processor. HINT: MAV and I prefer the Zilog Z8 for this. Well documented (it's a well aged Z80 single chip system) has lots of I/O and memory options and is cheap (under $1 in production quantites). The development kit costs about $40. One COTS board (commercial off the shelf) that I have been using for protyping has a Z8 as the keyboard bios. Geoff. -- Geoffrey S. Mendelson, C.T.O. GW&T Ltd., Jerusalem Israel [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] IL Voice: 972-544-608-069 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838 ================================================================= To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
