[U-Boot] API License Terms

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Daniel,

In message <7B12C7CF8EB6734F9C50A406CD99BED205ACF0DC at mail01b> you wrote:
> 
> Please can someone clarify the following points regarding the 'Consumer
> API' which we wish to use to access the environment from the core
> application of a commercial closed source product.

There is no such thing as a "consumer API".

> 1)       Is it true that the so called 'consumer application' can use
> this API and remain closed source - if so, where in the license
> information is this made clear?

I guess you might be referring to standalone applications here. And
the licensing for these is described right at the beginning of the
license file "COPYING".

> 2)       Who has agreed (or has to agree) that this is acceptable use?

Right in the beginning, when U-Boot (or rathewr "PPCBoot", as it  was
calkled  by  then) was basicly written by myself only, I came up with
this notion of allowing a certain, well-defined (and pretty  strictly
restrited) set of closed-source extensions.

> It's all very well Rafal adding the code and a 'public' header file with
> a BSD license - but surely all of the authors that have contributed to
> code accessed through this API would have to consent to these terms.

The API code implemented by Rafal (abi/* and examples/abi/*) is *not*
part of  the  exception  for  standalone  programs;  instead,  it  is
licensed under GPL. The source code makes this pretty clear.

> 3)       If presume that we cannot use the GPLv2 glue files in a closed
> source application.

Correct.

> We need to understand these points before we can proceed with code that
> interacts with this API.

For closed source extensions, your only option is what is available
via standalone applications, restricted as it is.

Of course you can always reconsider and release your code under GPL -
that would be the most natural thing given  the  fact  that  you  are
taking man-years worth of source code for free.

> Also, following on from these points, how would we go about extending
> the API?  Specifically, we would like to add a saveenv function to the
> API - is it legitimate for us to simply extend the API to add this
> functionality - provided we publish our changes to u-boot as per the GPL
> - without compromising our core application code as closed source?

Most probably you will need to include header files in addition to
those explicitly allowed in the "COPYING" file. This would require
you to release your code under GPL.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

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