[U-Boot] u-boot-v2 and GPL license version?

[Jerry Van Baren]

Kumar Gala wrote:
> Sascha,
> 
> You seem to be the person acting as maintainer of u-boot-v2.  Do you  
> have any input if u-boot-v2 would stay with GPLv2 or move to GPLv3?
> 
> - k

U-Boot v2 is the usage case I had in mind in my question:
> Would U-Boot be willing to have as much GPLv2++ (GPLv3) as possible, and 
> supporting a run time plug-in system to accommodate GPLv2-only modules? 
<http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.boot-loaders.u-boot/61801/focus=62886>

RMS' opinion was that this approach could be taken WRT GPLv3 of the 
U-Boot core and allow GPLv2 plug-ins, preferably via an explicit 
exception.  He was also OK with the concept from an ethical point of view.
<http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.boot-loaders.u-boot/61801/focus=62920>

If we took that approach, it would probably allow TiVoisation - maybe we 
could craft the GPLv3 s/w to prevent add-on modules from TiVoing the 
whole, but I think that would be difficult... if GPLv2 modules are added 
and initialized at start up time, it would be pretty hard to prevent a 
TiVo module from locking down the whole.

Since the primary point of going to GPLv3 is anti-TiVoism and the 
primary (only?) argument against going to GPLv3 is to allow TiVoism, 
from that point of view the GPLv3/GPLv2-plugin combination is a failure.[1]

Wolfgang's last word was pretty adamant about taking U-Boot to GPLv3.  I 
see the U-Boot v2 GPLv3/GPLv2-plugin technique as a way to take the core 
to GPLv3 without "needlessly" re-writing the parts we've borrowed from 
linux (in fact, it encourages borrowing from linux, which is a Good 
Thing[tm]).

Best regards,
gvb

[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_of_Kings#Accession_of_Solomon>
"Two prostitutes come to Solomon and ask him to settle an argument 
between them as to who is the mother of a particular baby. Solomon asks 
for a sword to cut the baby in half to be split between the two women. 
When the first prostitute tells him to give the baby to the other rather 
than kill it she proves herself to be the mother with her love for the 
child. Solomon gives her the baby."