Re: Linux, Windows and rPi

From	rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.sys.raspberry-pi
Subject	Re: Linux, Windows and rPi
Date	2015-08-04 18:31 -0400
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<mpredc$rdb$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(6 earlier) <mpqss1$ejc$1@dont-email.me> <slrnms20t7.vu3.nomail@xs9.xs4all.nl> <mpr384$apg$1@dont-email.me> <mpr87o$vgu$1@dont-email.me> <mprdd3$c94$1@dont-email.me>

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On 8/4/2015 6:12 PM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
> On Tue, 04 Aug 2015 16:46:14 -0400, rickman wrote:
>
>> On 8/4/2015 3:19 PM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
>>> On Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:25:43 +0000, Rob wrote:
>>>
>>>> I think the popular TomTom satnav is running Linux.
>>>>
>>> Yes, I heard that it always was on some form of Linux, but AFAIK its
>>> some secret proprietary flavour.
>>
>> I believe if you check, a "secret proprietary flavour" of Linux is not
>> allowed by the license.
>>
> What license is the kernel under? I'd supposed that it was GPLed.
>
> IIRC the GPL says that you have to make the GPLed code you're using and
> any mods to it available to users under the GPL and pass the changes back
> to the original author.
>
> However, I'd think it could be a bit different for the Linux kernel,
> because the changes you'd make when porting the kernel to new hardware
> would most likely all be the addition of separate modules such as the
> boot loader, drivers and other hardware-specific modules or stuff needed
> to let the system boot without user interaction. Since these are
> separately compiled code and not part of the GPLed kernel, which wouldn't
> need any changes if you used GCC or a compatible compiler, I don't think
> they have to be GPLed. AFAIK that's always been the case for GPLed code
> and has certainly always been the case for LGPLed code.
>
> You're encouraged to GPL your original parts of the combined ensemble,
> but don't have to and can even, if you wish, use a proprietary license
> for it and distribute it only as binary.

I'm not sure what you are talking about.  My understanding that the 
various parts of the kernal all had to be linked together which make it 
one executable and so covered by the same GPL (btw, I believe the L 
stands for "license").  Separately compiled doesn't have much meaning 
does it?  Each source file can be separately compiled if it has all the 
libraries available.  It is the linking that makes it something useful 
by connecting them all together.

Heck, I have a Sony video box which has a GPL license if you dig into 
the menus enough.  Yes, they have applications running that are 
proprietary, but the OS kernel is fully GPL so they will give you the 
source if you want it.

-- 

Rick

Thread

Linux, Windows and rPi rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-02 20:13 -0400
  Re: Linux, Windows and rPi tumppiw <tumppiw@gmail.com> - 2015-08-03 03:17 +0300
  Re: Linux, Windows and rPi hda <agent700@ay.invalid> - 2015-08-03 02:26 +0200
  Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Rob Morley <nospam@ntlworld.com> - 2015-08-03 02:20 +0100
    Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-03 13:04 +0000
      Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Rob Morley <nospam@ntlworld.com> - 2015-08-04 02:43 +0100
        Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-04 09:25 +0000
          Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Theo Markettos <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2015-08-04 16:25 +0100
            Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-04 17:30 +0000
              Re: Linux, Windows and rPi rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-04 13:39 -0400
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-08-04 18:47 +0100
              Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Rob <nomail@example.com> - 2015-08-04 18:25 +0000
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-04 19:19 +0000
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-04 16:46 -0400
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-08-04 22:02 +0100
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-04 22:12 +0000
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-04 18:31 -0400
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-08-05 01:24 +0100
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Theo Markettos <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2015-08-05 10:55 +0100
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Rob <nomail@example.com> - 2015-08-05 10:19 +0000
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Rob Morley <nospam@ntlworld.com> - 2015-08-05 03:31 +0100
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2015-08-05 08:22 +0100
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-05 08:11 +0000
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Tim Hill <tim@invalid.org.uk> - 2015-08-05 09:42 +0100
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Folderol <general@musically.me.uk> - 2015-08-05 17:14 +0100
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi mm0fmf <none@mailinator.com> - 2015-08-05 20:01 +0100
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2015-08-05 19:42 +0000
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2015-08-05 19:44 +0000
                Re: Linux, Windows and rPi rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-05 15:55 -0400
          Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Rob Morley <nospam@ntlworld.com> - 2015-08-04 20:27 +0100
            Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-04 20:19 +0000
        Re: Linux, Windows and rPi druck <news@druck.org.uk> - 2015-08-04 20:36 +0100
  Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Rob <nomail@example.com> - 2015-08-03 05:33 +0000
    Re: Linux, Windows and rPi druck <news@druck.org.uk> - 2015-08-03 20:56 +0100
      Re: Linux, Windows and rPi mm0fmf <none@mailinator.com> - 2015-08-03 21:09 +0100
        Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-03 21:08 +0000
          Re: Linux, Windows and rPi "Kerr Mudd-John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2015-08-11 10:31 +0100
        Re: Linux, Windows and rPi rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2015-08-03 22:03 -0400
          Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Rob <nomail@example.com> - 2015-08-04 07:16 +0000
            Re: Linux, Windows and rPi John Doe <john@doe.com> - 2015-08-04 09:28 +0000
              Re: Linux, Windows and rPi David Taylor <david-taylor@blueyonder.co.uk.invalid> - 2015-08-04 10:38 +0100
            Re: Linux, Windows and rPi Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-08-04 09:39 +0000

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