Questions on GPL application for embedded product

[Ralph Corderoy]

Hi,

Replying to an oldish email...

Harald Welte wrote:
> On Thu, May 25, 2006 at 07:06:55PM +0200, Pierre Michon wrote:
> > So this means that companies that builds devices that only accept
> > signed binaries violate the GPLv2 ?
> 
> yes, at least as long as there is no possibility for the user to add
> his own key and make the product accept binaries signed with his key.

In my arguments with Amstrad, who never ended up providing the matching
source and later changed their bootloader to only accept signed
downloads, I was told Amstrad would be happy to sign a firmware image I
built and return it to me so I could then download it to the device.

They saw this as meeting the GPLv2 but putting enough of an impediment
in the way as to mean no one would bother.  :-(

Cheers,


Ralph.