Re: [PATCH 0/1] Embedded Maintainer(s), linux-embedded@vger list

[Daniel THOMPSON <daniel.thompson@st.com>]

James Chapman wrote:
> Mike Frysinger wrote:
>> On Thu, Jun 12, 2008 at 5:53 PM, Tim Bird wrote:
>>> Mike Frysinger wrote:
>>>>> Er, is that GPL or LGPL code that you're modifying? If so, you
>>>>> *have* to
>>>>> push those code changes out (make them available to others),
>>>>> whether you
>>>>> think people will be interested or not!
>>>> umm, not really.  only if (1) he gives a binary to someone and (2)
>>>> they ask him for the source.  if he doesnt distribute or no one asks,
>>>> he doesnt have to do squat.
>>> This is closer to correct, but missing some important details.
>>>
>>> Start the GPL compliance tutorial/flameware in 3, 2, 1...
>>
>> yeah, i really dont think licensing things belong here.  sorry for
>> following up.
>>
>> how about this policy: if you want to make a statement, go pay a
>> lawyer.  but that statement still shouldnt be made here ;).
>> -mike
> 
> Sorry, I didn't mean to provoke a GPL flame war. The point I was trying
> to make (badly as it turns out) is that if a company really wants to see
> its changes taken upstream, it could simply publish the work on its
> website and let each relevant community know that it's there.

Isn't this a lot of the problem with the way embedded companies and
developers interact with upstream.

In some cases it is in the embedded developers interests to see their
code adopted upstream (i.e. so they don't have to maintain it).

Just tossing some code over the wall will, in almost all circumstances,
result in the code being ignored.

> A diff of
> the changes would be ideal. This is above and beyond what they have to
> do under GPL terms of course. There's no need for a company to filter
> out changes that it thinks others won't be interested in.

This is a legal concern, not a practical one. All companies *should*
comply with the law. Really it is more useful to convince people that it
is in their own self-interest to do more than this.


-- 
Daniel Thompson (STMicroelectronics) <daniel.thompson@st.com>
1000 Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4SQ. 01454 462659

If a car is a horseless carriage then is a motorcycle a horseless horse?