[coreboot] How to properly conform with GPLv2 for Coreboot and SeaBIOS on an embedded system

[Peter Stuge]

A thought:

Peter Stuge wrote:
> > and our product always included the full license and source on
> > microSD, that would not be good enough to cover the obligations of
> > our distributor/customer?
> 
> As long as your customer passes the medium along to *their* customer,
> I would consider them compliant. They have to actually do that
> however.
> 
> It is helpful to state that they are non-compliant and risk a lawsuit
> should they fail to accompany the object code (in your hardware, which
> they ship) with the source code that they can acquire or have received
> from you.

If you can handle the cost then you could design a (read-only, e.g. USB-
attached flash memory appearing as a CD-ROM) medium *into* your hardware,
which stores the source code corresponding to the object code which is in
boot flash. I find that ideal.

If that medium is in the spirit of the license text "a medium customarily
used for software interchange" then I think that is an utmost elegant way
to not only ensure your own and your customer's compliance (as long as they
do not destroy that medium!) but also compliance for everyone who might
re-sell your customer's product, or even your module, should your customer's
product at some point be stripped apart and bits of it sold e.g. as spare
parts.

I think that's a truly valuable offer for you to propose. GPL compliance
built-in, so to speak. :)


//Peter