[U-Boot] Fix for a build ?

[Wolfgang Denk]

Dear Sylvain Lamontagne,

In message <n2m3e45db431005040739m7ff0eb77x712f3e39681f44f8 at mail.gmail.com> you wrote:
> 
> Ok, I am now in the seat of someone that could push the idea of
> putting the next platform we develop into the mainline. But other
> MBA/Finance/Manager persons that really take decisions will surely ask
> my department why I would like to give internal informations of our
> product in a way that any of our competitors could get it easily. How
> could I give them an answer that would be aligned with the philosophy
> ?

First, U-Boot is covered by the GPL, so you will have to give the
full sources anyway to any of your customers who asks for it - even
if it's one of your direct competitors.

Second, do you really think there is any intellectual property in a
port of U-Boot that is worth such protection?  If so, you better write
your own proprietary boot loader from scratch.

Third: according to Ohloh (http://www.ohloh.net/p/u-boot) it would
cost you (or your company) some 270+ man-years or $_15,000,000 to
develop something like U-Boot from scratch. You got all this code
completely for free, so it seems only just and equitable that you
return the little you added to the community, too.

> > I did not intend to be rude, but I have to admit that your attitude
> > is not exactly in line how community projects like this work.
> Then I'm sorry, but for me this project sounds like it is directed by
> a bunch of elitist who would not accept someone that don't already
> know how the project work. Criticizing and judging questions asked by
> people that may never have work on or with  something like U-Boot
> before. If you are afraid of getting to much dumb questions then this
> means that the documentation and the FAQ from the U-Boot website could
> be improve in a way that new comers would find easily the informations
> they need.

All the documentation is in a wiki - please feel free to add any
parts you consider missing.


Wolfgang Denk

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