From patchwork Mon May 7 20:12:30 2012 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Patchwork-Submitter: Luca Ceresoli X-Patchwork-Id: 157407 Return-Path: X-Original-To: incoming@patchwork.ozlabs.org Delivered-To: patchwork-incoming@bilbo.ozlabs.org Received: from silver.osuosl.org (silver.osuosl.org [140.211.166.136]) by ozlabs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A6B62B6FAA for ; Tue, 8 May 2012 06:14:05 +1000 (EST) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by silver.osuosl.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CFCD131501; Mon, 7 May 2012 20:14:04 +0000 (UTC) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at osuosl.org Received: from silver.osuosl.org ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (.osuosl.org [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id N+XqbPkH33+R; Mon, 7 May 2012 20:14:00 +0000 (UTC) Received: from ash.osuosl.org (ash.osuosl.org [140.211.166.34]) by silver.osuosl.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6790F32990; Mon, 7 May 2012 20:13:40 +0000 (UTC) X-Original-To: buildroot@lists.busybox.net Delivered-To: buildroot@osuosl.org Received: from whitealder.osuosl.org (whitealder.osuosl.org [140.211.166.138]) by ash.osuosl.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 569F58F76A for ; Mon, 7 May 2012 20:13:09 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by whitealder.osuosl.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4D8608C893 for ; Mon, 7 May 2012 20:13:09 +0000 (UTC) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at osuosl.org Received: from whitealder.osuosl.org ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (.osuosl.org [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id hAutbUxQ7+38 for ; Mon, 7 May 2012 20:13:05 +0000 (UTC) X-Greylist: domain auto-whitelisted by SQLgrey-1.7.6 Received: from smtpi4.ngi.it (smtpi4.ngi.it [88.149.128.104]) by whitealder.osuosl.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 131638C8B7 for ; Mon, 7 May 2012 20:13:04 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost.localdomain (88-149-227-115.dynamic.ngi.it [88.149.227.115]) by smtpi4.ngi.it (Postfix) with ESMTP id 27D3642B93; Mon, 7 May 2012 22:13:03 +0200 (CEST) From: Luca Ceresoli To: buildroot@busybox.net Date: Mon, 7 May 2012 22:12:30 +0200 Message-Id: <1336421563-5986-9-git-send-email-luca@lucaceresoli.net> X-Mailer: git-send-email 1.7.5.4 In-Reply-To: <1336421563-5986-1-git-send-email-luca@lucaceresoli.net> References: <1336421443-5871-1-git-send-email-luca@lucaceresoli.net> <1336421563-5986-1-git-send-email-luca@lucaceresoli.net> Cc: Luca Ceresoli Subject: [Buildroot] [PATCH v3 09/22] manual: add advice about GPL compliance for Buildroot X-BeenThere: buildroot@busybox.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussion and development of buildroot List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , MIME-Version: 1.0 Errors-To: buildroot-bounces@busybox.net Sender: buildroot-bounces@busybox.net Signed-off-by: Luca Ceresoli --- docs/manual/using.txt | 27 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 files changed, 27 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/manual/using.txt b/docs/manual/using.txt index 09f4136..411136b 100644 --- a/docs/manual/using.txt +++ b/docs/manual/using.txt @@ -281,3 +281,30 @@ Buildroot, with the name used in the manifest file: * +BSD-4c+: Original BSD 4-clause license; * +BSD-3c+: BSD 3-clause license; * +BSD-2c+: BSD 2-clause license. + +Complying with the Buildroot license +------------------------------------ + +Buildroot itself is an opensource software, released under the +http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html[GNU General Public +License, version 2] or (at your option) any later version. +However, being a build system, it is not normally part of the end product: +if you develop the root filesystem, kernel, bootloader or toolchain for a +device, the code of Buildroot is only present on the development machine, not +in the device storage. + +Nevertheless, the general view of the Buildroot developers is that you should +release the Buildroot source code along with the source code of other packages +when releasing a product that contains GPL-licensed software. +This is because the +http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html[GNU GPL] +defines the "'complete source code'" for an executable work as "'all the +source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface +definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation +of the executable'". +Buildroot is part of the 'scripts used to control compilation and +installation of the executable', and as such it is considered part of the +material that must be redistributed. + +Keep in mind this is only the Buildroot developers' opinion, and you should +consult your legal department or lawyer for any doubt.