Re: licensing issues

[Quality Quorum <qqi at world dot std dot com>]

On Thu, 9 Dec 1999, Stan Shebs wrote:

> If you want to link directly with proprietary libraries, then the GPL
> is not right for you.  Instead, use something like the BSD license,
> which has fewer restrictions, and no constraints on intermixing with
> proprietary code.  From a practical point of view (setting aside my
> rabid fanatic GNU maintainer hat :-) ), it would be very useful to
> have something like gdbserver that can be used with a variety of
> proprietary libraries, such as emulator interfaces and cycle-accurate
> simulators.  Yes, some nefarious software hoarder could take the
> program, make improvements, and not share them; but the program is
> really too simple for anybody to care.  We also have a precedent in
> that the example stubs are public-domain, and don't have any kind of
> license at all!

It is OK with me, however, I am setting my communications (net and
serial) in exactly same mode as GDB does and I practically 
copied native linux server (to debug remote machine itself), 
and these pieces are GPLed. So, in my current mood it seems
a better choice to use GPL for my code and consider
proprietary stuff drivers, naturally, I am not so sure about it
and that is why I am looking for advice.
 
> A beneficial side-effect for GDB is that it removes some of the
> pressure to try to link in proprietary interfaces to hardware;
> instead, they can be linked with "alekseys-gdbserver", then the user
> only needs GDB to have the standard protocol.  Also, the server can
> live on a different machine, such as a Windows box in the lab
> connected to the targets, while you get to it from the GDB on your
> Linux system at home.

This is the exact idea behind labslave, which is going to consist 
of three components:

rproxy  - enhanced/expanded gdbserver
tinyts  - trivial single channel terminal server
flipper - trivial relay switcher (with driver) allowing to remotely 
          hw reset target.
 
> So I think this would be a great project, and if you undertake it,
> I'll help out in any way that I can.

I am looking for licensing advise and alpha testers.

> 
> 								Stan
> 

Thanks,

Aleksey