Bug#464954: IxNpeMicrocode.h and Debian
On Sat, Feb 09, 2008 at 08:54:13PM -0500, Joey Hess wrote:
> Hi, I'm considering including your IxNpeMicrocode.h file in Debian, and
> using it to build microcode files for the NSLU2, as you can see here:
> http://bugs.debian.org/464954
>
> While I was reviewing the licenses, I found a problem. Your
> IxNpeMicrocode.h is GPL licensed. But it is #included from
> IxNpeMicrocode.c, which of course is not GPLed code. My analysis of
> Intel's license is that it's not compatible with the GPL -- the GPL does
> not give me the right to link Intel's non-free code together with your
> GPLed code.
>
> Clearly you intend for IxNpeMicrocode.h to be linked into
> IxNpeMicrocode.c, though. Can I suggest that you amend the license of
> the file to make it clear that we're allowed to do so? One way to do it
> would be to change the license to a BSD license, as code under a BSD
> license can be linked to any other code, with no problems. Or, the
> license could be left GPL, but with an exception added, such as:
>
> As a special exception, this program may be linked with Intel's
> XP400 NPE Microcode Image file (IxNpeMicrocode.c), despite that
> file's more restrictive license.
>
> I hope this makes sense and that this issue doesn't prevent me from
> including the ixp microcode in Debian non-free.
I changed the licence and added the proposed exception.
Available at:
http://git.hohnstaedt.de/ixp_npe/IxNpeMicrocode.h
best regards
Christian
--
Christian Hohnstaedt / Software Engineer
Innominate Security Technologies AG / protecting industrial networks
tel: +49.30.6392-3285 / fax: +49.30.6392-3307
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