[U-Boot] Standalone application - expanding export functions

[U-Boot] Standalone application - expanding export functions

[swami91]

Hi,


  I was going through the document in doc/README.standalone. It says I can
add addition functions to export/_export.h:

"   To export some additional function foobar(), the following steps             
   should be undertaken:                                                         
   - Append the following line at the end of the include/_exports.h             
     file:                                                                         
        EXPORT_FUNC(foobar)   "      
    
But the discussion in the following thread by Wolfgang says the standalone
function will have to be GPLed if expanded. 
                                                                        
 
http://u-boot.10912.n7.nabble.com/Using-U-Boot-in-a-mixed-licensed-environment-td142874.html

I am confused. Can you please clarify if we can expand the export functions
with both with u-boot code functions and the functions I add to u-boot and
still not to GPL the standalone application if it uses those functions?

Thanks,
-Sudhakar




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[U-Boot] Standalone application - expanding export functions

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear swami91,

In message <1402687688522-182313.post@n7.nabble.com> you wrote:
> 
> I am confused. Can you please clarify if we can expand the export functions
> with both with u-boot code functions and the functions I add to u-boot and
> still not to GPL the standalone application if it uses those functions?

The license exception for standalone applications applies to the
existing export list.  You can extend the interface, but then the
resulting code (including the SA application) would be covered by the
GPL.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
God is real, unless declared integer.

[U-Boot] Standalone application - expanding export functions

[swami91]

Wolfgang, Thanks for the quick response.

Suppose, say I add more functions to export/_export.h files and call it from
standalone application. But if I release only the u-boot binary and don't
release the binary of the standalone application should the standalone
application source need to be released under GPL?

Thanks,
-Sudhakar



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[U-Boot] Standalone application - expanding export functions

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Sudhakar,

In message <1402711264164-182331.post@n7.nabble.com> you wrote:
> 
> Suppose, say I add more functions to export/_export.h files and call it from
> standalone application. But if I release only the u-boot binary and don't
> release the binary of the standalone application should the standalone
> application source need to be released under GPL?

If you do not distribute copies of the code, you do not have to
release the source code for it.  The requirements of the GPL for
providing the source code are only for the situation when distri- bute
the code.

Note however that you would have to be extremely careful - you would
have to make very prominet notice in the documentation and the source
code that the license exception for Standalone appliations does NOT
apply for your modified version of the U-Boot source code.  The big
problem is that someone could use your extended jump table as base
for his own legacy SA applications, while this would be incorrect.


May I ask what exactly you are trying to do that triggers these
questions?  What is the intellectual property in your AS app that
appears to be so critical that you cannot release the code under GPL?

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
To get something done, a committee should consist  of  no  more  than
three men, two of them absent.