Re: Has anyone heard about EPIA MII FastBoot ROM Utility? < GPLIssue

[Stefan de Konink]

Do you agree with them?

My understanding of the GPL is, if you extend a program or use an other
GPL program you must license it as GPL. That is probably also true for
using the same member definitions. imho

Stefan

ps. next to that I find it strange why they even mention FreeBIOS in their
bios... though I hope they open their code anyway.

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004, Larry Matter wrote:
> I asked about this and this is the reply I got:
>
> After checking with our engineers, we found the source code of VIA Fast
> boot ROM
> does not contain the GPL source code.
>   Only one structure's members definitions are the same as the Linux BIOS.
> The
> remaining parts are not.
>   We think it doesn't break the GPL.
>
> Larry
> > Today I discussed it with a collegue of me. He said it is the way you
> > bring this to VIA, if there is any force, like they do when you infridge
> > their patents, it just disappears from their website.
> > At the moment they claim to give a OEM (or a end user) source code (one C
> > file with compile instructions for VC++ 1.5 (!)).
> > Probably someone should gently point out that what they give is object
> > code. And with the question if the want to participate in the LinuxBIOS
> > code, source for the VGA initialisation for example :)
> >
> > Two months ago I had basically the same problem with Acer (BenQ) about
> > their AccessPoints basically they did the same thing as Linksys. With the
> > new products they got Wind River...
> > The FSF coundn't do anything because there was no link to find except for
> > the Linux Kernel.
> >
> > So I presume the EPIA-toyers like the FastBios product the same als the
> > LinuxBIOS project. Though the LinuxBIOS claims to be unstable for the
> > board (sounds scary) while 'their' VIA building provides a 'working'
> > package based on LinuxBIOS.
> >
> > Is anybody of the developers group able to take some action?
> >
> > Stefan
> >
> > On Thu, 17 Jun 2004, Matt Jarvis wrote:
> > > This wouldn't surprise me. Via did the same with the Waste sources,
> > > built their own version for the PadlockSL utility without mention of the
> > > fact it was GPL Waste source based. They withdrew the code from their
> > > webpage when it was put to them that it was a GPL infringement. They
> > > dont seem to understand the concept of the GPL very well.
> > >
> > > Adam Sulmicki wrote:
> > > > > I'm trying to boot from the CF reader on the VIA Epia platform. After
> > > > > reading forums and mailinglist this could be possible by the FastBoot
> > > > > Utility.
> > > > >
> > > > > http://downloads.viaarena.com/WinCE/Apr04/fastboot%20v2.01.zip
> > > > >
> > > > > But I was a bit surpriced what I found in there...
> > > > > grep linux `find` and look at the 'loader*.obj'-files.
> > > > >
> > > > > Can somebody confirm this is _not_ distributed GPL code as a binary?
> > > >
> > > > fyi, you can get to this page from :
> > > >
> > > > http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=343
> > > >
> > > > you can do:
> > > >    wget http://downloads.viaarena.com/WinCE/Apr04/fastboot%20v2.01.zip
> > > >    unzip fastboot%20v2.01.zip
> > > >    strings */*/loader?.obj | grep -i linux
> > > >
> > > > it gives you stuff like :
> > > >
> > > > _linuxbios_versionR
> > > > _linuxbios_extra_versionX
> > > > _linuxbios_build`
> > > > _linuxbios_compile_timef
> > > > _linuxbios_compile_byp
> > > > _linuxbios_compile_hostv
> > > > _linuxbios_compile_domainz
> > > > _linuxbios_compiler~
> > > > _linuxbios_linker
> > > > _linuxbios_assembler
> > > >
> > > > etc, etc.
> > > >
> > > > also that http page mentioned above has contact info. perhaps
> > >
> > > something to
> > > > inquire at.
> > > >
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