[U-Boot] U-book and GPLv3? (fwd)

Jean-Christophe PLAGNIOL-VILLARD plagnioj at jcrosoft.com
Thu Jun 25 23:24:30 CEST 2009


On 20:59 Wed 24 Jun     , Richard Stallman wrote:
>     I can assure you that today If we switch the V2 to the v3 we will lose a lot of
>     customers
> 
> Are the users of U-Boot usually customers?  That term normally refers
> to people that buy a commercial product or service.
This where I disagree my customer are firm that will hire me or buy me
something too. In this case the firm can require for their business secure boot.
You only see the one part of the business and the world.
> 
>     And force to give the private key which use to sign the code is not reallist
>     it's a security flaw
> 
> I have a computer on which I can install any code I choose.
> I don't think that is a security flaw.
For your personnal computer fine, but all products will not have the same
requirements or targets.
> 
> On the contrary, if only one company can install a new version, that
> is a grave security flaw for me as a user.
If I use a GPLv3 bootloader in a medical tool, a car, Point of payment terminal,
Military System, etc... it is a grave security flaw.
I'm not sure that you will be very happy if someone can modify the Firmware
freely. As you may loose money to be killed and at the extrem kill millions
of people.

I do not think the v3 is a benefit. I'll never accept the concept to an
opensource licence that will force me to use a software in a specific way that
someone will choose for me as do the v3. It will be freedom kill.

Here you try to restrict people freedom because you do not like what they do.
It will result as the same as live in jail.

Please remember I can create what product I want with opensource component
I'm free to do it If I accept the fact ot reverse code to the community or at
least to your customer.

I think you take the problem in the wrong way. You want to be able to do what
you want with your hardware fine so do not buy non upgradable hardware.
Help people as I to convince firm to develop - when it's possible - full
opensource product as the openmoko, beagle project etc...

In this case it will be a win-win in the otherway it's extremist, business and
freedom kill

In France we have this
"la liberté de chacun s'arrete ou celle d'autrui commence"
you can transalte by something like this
Your freedom will stop where the freedom of someone else will start

So the GPLv3 no

Best Regards,
J.


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