[ECOS] Porting for ecos - is GPL SW applicable?

[Dmitry Ryzhkov]

Hi All,

May be somebody can tell a few words about legal aspects of porting 
already existing GPL SW for its using under eCos?

I would like to use ecos as OS platform but I need to operate with 
FAT-formatted PCMCIA flash memory cards (mass storage class). FAT is not 
supported by ecos. Terefore there is a sense to port FAT fs to ecos using, 
for example, Linux kernel as source. Linux kernel is distributed under GPL, 
so if I make any port of its part (fat fs in our case), the result must also 
be under GPL. That isn't a problem - can be done and src of ecos/FAT fs can 
be made for public access. 

Problem is that I will ALSO need to make public the APPLICATION part of SW I 
develop using both ecos and fat-for-ecos because ecos fat fs must be GPL. I'm 
afraid that a)my customer will not be happy to make application itself public 
(not fat fs, of course), and b) I'm not sure that RHPL and GPL can be easely 
joined within one project...

May be somebody can tell me a bit more about these matters? Is that possible 
to use GPL SW with ecos? And do I need to make public whole code of project 
if I'm porting some GPL SW for ecos? Is that possible to get GPL SW, make 
port for ecos, expose result under GLPL (Library License) and then use (call) 
this port within closed app?

Thanks a lot in advance,
RDim.