[U-Boot-Users] Proposal for a make option to include an additional stand alone program directory

[Timur Tabi]

Wolfgang Denk wrote:
> In message <4631093C.7060002 at freescale.com> you wrote:
>> But even if the application were non-GPL, how would running it be a GPL violation?  If I 
>> load the application into memory, and just execute it, and the application runs without 
>> calling U-Boot code, and then the application exits, that's not a GPL violation.
> 
> You agree that static linking against a non-GPL library is illegal?

Yes, but just merging two binaries into a new binary isn't "linking", IMHO.  For there to 
be linking, project A must include parts of project B.  Just having A make a function call 
to B is not linking, otherwise proprietary applications would never be able to make 
syscalls into the kernel.

> What does static linking against a NON-GPL library mean? You combine the
> U-Boot image and the library image in some way, or
> load the library image into memory,
> 	then you call a function from that library,
> 		and just execute it, and that library function runs without
> calling U-Boot code, and then the library function returns, that's ...
> ...a GPL violation.

Well, I'm not lawyer, and so I don't really know for sure, but I would disagree.  After 
all, calling the library function is nothing more than loading a number into the PC 
register.  I don't really see how that alone can be considered linking.

> Running an application and calling a function is two  very  different
> things:  U-Boot works perfectly fine without this application, and is
> just a helper to be able to load and atart and run it. But  a  binary
> firmware,  which  is  needed  for  U-Boot to function properly, where
> U-Boot does not work correctly or with the full functionality if  the
> firmware is not present, is a different thing.

U-Boot works just fine without this binary firmware.  This particular firmware just 
enables the 2nd Ethernet port so that the Linux driver can load.

-- 
Timur Tabi
Linux Kernel Developer @ Freescale