Re: License problems

[Keir Fraser <keir.xen@gmail.com>]

On 30/04/2011 14:54, "Bastian Blank" <bastian@waldi.eu.org> wrote:

> Hi folks
> 
> I did some license review of Xen. I found some problems. At least one
> part is undistributable as it stands.
> 
> mini-os
> =======
> mini-os consists of parts with a MIT-style license, parts with GPL v2
> and parts with a 4-clause BSD:
> | extras/mini-os/include/lib.h: BSD (4 clause)
> | extras/mini-os/include/lib.h: BSD (4 clause)
> | extras/mini-os/lib/printf.c: BSD (4 clause)
> | extras/mini-os/lib/math.c: BSD (4 clause)
> 
> The 4-clause BSD license is considered incompatible with the GPL[1].

Samuel already replied regarding these, and he is a maintainer of mini-os so
I'll leave it to him. My opinion is that the files should preferably be
updated if that allows us to license under modified BSD license. The
modified license is widely agreed to be GPL compatible, whereas the old
obnoxious advertising clause is definitely not.

> public headers
> ==============
> All the public headers in xen/include/public are supposed to be licensed
> under a MIT-style license, however some files lists other licenses.
> 
> | xen/include/public/arch-ia64/debug_op.h: GPL (v2 or later) (with incorrect
> FSF address)
> | xen/include/public/arch-ia64/hvm/memmap.h: GPL (v2 or later) (with incorrect
> FSF address)
> | xen/include/public/arch-ia64/hvm/save.h: GPL (v2 or later) (with incorrect
> FSF address)
> | xen/include/public/arch-ia64/sioemu.h: GPL (v2 or later) (with incorrect FSF
> address)
> | xen/include/public/mem_event.h: GPL (v2 or later) (with incorrect FSF
> address)
> | xen/include/public/xsm/flask_op.h: *No copyright* GPL (v2,)
> | xen/include/public/xsm/flask_op.h: *No copyright* GPL (v2,)

The file include/public/COPYING *very clearly* states that all files in that
directory are licensed under a most permissive MIT-style license. The GPL
stanzas just confuse matters, are obviously unintentional, and I will delete
them. I'll add the MIT license text where it's missing, while I'm at it.

 -- Keir

> Bastian
> 
> [1]: 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSD_licenses#4-clause_license_.28original_.22BSD_
> License.22.29