[U-Boot] [EXT] Re: Cavium/Marvell Octeon Support

[Tom Rini <trini@konsulko.com>]

On Tue, Nov 05, 2019 at 09:33:35AM +0100, Wolfgang Denk wrote:
> Dear Aaron,
> 
> In message <5376617.97hUrJXovB@flash> you wrote:
> >
> > > Again you don't answer my question.  Why do you need a special new
> > > API for such code?  Why do you not just link that code with the rest
> > > of U-Boot?
> >
> > The code in question that is calling the API is not GPL and hence cannot be 
> > linked with U-Boot though the phy code is GPL.
> 
> Ouch.  I was afraid to hear that.
> 
> Please be aware that your newly created API does NOT implement a GPL
> license exception.  the only interface that allows for non-GPL code
> to be run under control of U-Boot is the standalone program
> interface, which is intentionally very restricted.
> 
> In other words: what you are doing here is a clear (and intentional,
> which makes it even worse) GPL license violation.
> 
> > > It has been mentioned before, but just to be sure: this code which
> > > uses your new API is licensed under a GPLv2 conforming lincense?
> > > 
> > There should be no need. None of the code is linked against U-Boot, either at 
> > compile time nor at runtime. The application doesn't even know where it is 
> > located except by looking for a named block of memory.
> 
> It does not have to be linked.  You access internal interfaces of
> U-Boot that have not been exported for non-GPL use, so your code
> still has to be licensed under GPLv2 or a compatible license.

I'm just following up to say that I agree with Wolfgang here.

-- 
Tom
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