>> Is it sufficient to include those config files along with a pointer to
>> crosstool-ng in the platforms/rpi directory?
>
> Possibly, but I consider it shaky ground.

We have a few options, I suppose.

I could build my own toolchain using crosstool-ng and the config files as
posted on github.  We'd be assured that we could archive the packages used
by crosstool in making these toolchains, and include the licenses (which
are all probably GPL).   We could choose to package someone else's ARM
toolchain that has better licensing information included.  We could include
no toolchain at all for RPi, and write up directions for how to download
the official ones from github.

I can see that all of these might have some merit from a
please-don't-sue-us standpoint, but I don't like any of them.  The purist
in me says that we should use the exact toolchains supplied by the RPi
Foundation to build the kernel and packages for the RPi.


> I did just notice one problem with binary tar of the toolchain from
> github.  It seems to be devoid of any license.

These binaries obtained from github print a copyright/license notice when
executed with --version:

[smalloy@dresden] 1 $ ./arm-bcm2708hardfp-linux-gnueabi-gcc --version
arm-bcm2708hardfp-linux-gnueabi-gcc (crosstool-NG 1.15.2) 4.7.1 20120402
(prerelease)
Copyright (C) 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.


If that is not sufficient to satisfy the terms of the GPL, I could add a
LICENSE.TXT file detailing where and when we obtained these binaries, and
that they must be subject to the GPL, if not directly, than as derivative
works.  Pointing the interested user to gnu.org for source seems reasonable
to me.  It is the canonical site for all things GNU, and is unlikely to go
anywhere anytime soon.

I am no lawyer, thank God, but I believe that we have made a good-faith
effort to be very clear where we have obtained these packages, and to
include only free software, and comply with the GPL.

Please let me know if I should write up a LICENSE.TXT file for the
toolchains.  If not, please let me know which alternative approach will be
acceptable, and I will make that happen.

Thanks again for the feedback.

-Sean


-- 
Sean C. Malloy
[email protected]
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