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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