[U-Boot] License Problems for standalone application at u-boot

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Peter Chen,

In message <1250231900.7144.40.camel at nchen-desktop> you wrote:
> 
> 1. Does jump table means the function lists which the standalone
> applications uses?

The "jump table provided by U-Boot exactly for this purpose" is the
list of functions exported through the "include/_exports.h" header
file.

Only these functions are available from standalone programs without
linking against any of the U-Boot provided libraries. If your program
links and runs fine using only these functions then you are free to
license your standalone application whatever you like; if you need to
link against any of the U-Boot libraries then you must release your
code under GPL.

> 2. If the functions includes some u-boot header file, it belongs to
> derived work or not?

Well, the file "COPYING" explicitly mentions the header files where
the situations is clear:

>   The header files "include/image.h" and "include/asm-*/u-boot.h"
> define interfaces to U-Boot. Including these (unmodified) header
> files in another file is considered normal use of U-Boot, and does
> *not* fall under the heading of "derived work".

The fact that these files are explicitly mentioned *not* to make yoru
code a Derived Work should make clear that all other header files do,
or at least might do, so you better not include these in a standalone
application you don't intend to release under GPL. If you do, you
better check with your legal department, and rely on what they tell
you. Note that I just wouldn't do that.

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
I have a theory that it's impossible to prove anything, but  I  can't
prove it.