Hi Wolfgang! On Sun, Jul 06, 2008 at 12:11:05PM +0200, Wolfgang Denk wrote:
> in message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> you wrote: > > > > [PATCH] add 'license' command to u-boot command line > > > > The 'license' command includes the u-boot license (GPLv2) into the actual > > bootloader binary. The license text can be shown interactively at the > > u-boot > > commandline. > > When we started working on this boot loader (by then still under the > name 8xxrom or maybe already PPCBoot, I don't remember exactly any > more) we decided not to implement such a feature because of (flash) > memory footprint reasons. Well, the same argument holds true for many other of u-boot's features. However, they still get implemented, and the compilation/inclusion in the (flash) image therefore is optional. Users who don't want it, get zero additional benefit. > I still feel this is pretty heavy in terms of memory footprint versus > benefit ratio. that is probably from your point of view. While I was working for OpenMoko, from a vendor perspective of a company that wants to make 100% sure that the GPL is always followed, this kind of feature makes a lot of sense. Even if you just put a u-boot binary on some ftp server (without the GPL text next to it) you still don't risk any GPL infringement. > > For products where the commandline can actually be accessed by the end user, > > this helps to prevent inadvertent GPL violations, since the GPLv2 license > > text > > can no longer be 'forgotten' to be included into the product. > > > > The 'license' command can be enabled by CONFIG_CMD_LICENSE. > > Well, I bet 9:1 that some vendors (and I guess you and me know a few > of them pretty well) may simply "forget" to enable the > CONFIG_CMD_LICENSE option, or they ship U-Boot in a configuration > where access to an interactive console interface is difficult or even > impossible (completely unintentionally, of course). this is perfectly true. I'm not saying that this patch is a fire-and-forget solution for all device manufacturers. I'm simply saying that this solved a practical problem for OpenMoko. It's a straight-forward patch that doesn't impact any existing code or files, and it comes at zero footprint impact if you don't want it. > So the benefit in such cases is really small, especially since the > License text cannot be found easily in the binary image (as it's > compressed). well, it's supposed to offer the license text at the command line, not in the memory image.. > So I have to admit that I'm realy biased here. Let's see what other's > say. Ok. I'm also waiting for the feedback of others. Please keep in mind tha this is a zero-maintenance patch that doesn't affect any existing code. So even while you might think the feature is esoteric, it is a very painless feature to add. > But I definitely object against such a binary, i. e. unreadable copy > of some license which nobody can check, and which quickly gets out of > sync with the COPYING file included with the source code. > > If we add such a command, I insist that the included (compressed) > licenzse text must be generated on the fly from the COPYING file, > i. e. I will reject all attempts that cause two (probably different) > copies of the license text included with U-Boot. Ok, I agree. Let's wait for the further comments on the list. If I have the feeling that such a feature would be accepted, I'll re-work the patch to include a script and makefile hooks to generate the header file with the compressed license text on-the-fly while compiling u-boot. Regards, -- - Harald Welte <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://laforge.gnumonks.org/ ============================================================================ "Privacy in residential applications is a desirable marketing option." (ETSI EN 300 175-7 Ch. A6)
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