[Yaffs-archive] Re: Fw: YAFFS and GPL

[Charles Manning]

Andrew
Since you are not a list member, Nick manually forwarded this to me. I reply 
on the list.

YAFFS is indeed GPL. What the GPL actually means - legally - is not something 
I want to get into here. I will not make the judgement for you as to how 
close you want to sail to the wind.

Currently, under GPL, YAFFS can be used with Linux and WinCE. 
The Linux code is either built in or module loaded. Thus, YAFFS does not give 
you any more GPL grief than any other Linux-based system.

The WinCE port is done as file system that is isolated from other proprietary 
code and is loaded through standard OS interfaces. All clean and GPL-safe.

I've recently added the YAFFS Direct Interface to cvs. This allows YAFFS to 
be be used without an OS (eg. in an RTOS). At this stage Aleph One has not 
yet figured out the licensing to use, but the intention is to make some sort 
of dual licensing scheme or some such that will support free use under GPL 
and still provide for use in other cases.

The YAFFS bootloader is LGPL.

I shy away from the BSD license because it does not encourage community. 
Under BSD you take the code, do anything to it and do not have to feed it 
back. Under LGPL you still have to feed modifications/improvements back into 
the community. Hence, I believe BSD stagnates, while LGPL grows.

Maybe if you tell me more about the environment you are considering I can 
give a better indication. If you have a particular need, then I'm sure 
something can be worked out.

Hope that helps.

-- CHarles

> > Hi there,
> >
> > I am looking at embarking on a commercial project where one of
> > the requirements is a file system for NAND flash. I have read about
> > YAFFS and am keen in using it. From the quick reading around that I have
> > done with linking to a GPL piece of code, then that code itself becomes
> > GPL'd. For this commercial project this is really something that can't
> > be allowed. So anyway I was wondering whether someone could clarify more
> > the situation for linking with the YAFFS.
> >
> > I have heard mention that dynamically linking might be okay, but
> > I am dubious of this. I have heard mention that a possible way around it
> > is to have a piece of code with does become GPL'd which forms a function
> > access table somewhere in memory. Then other code looks up this table
> > when a certain function is called and jumps to the appropriate location.
> > Sorta like a jump table into the library. The only knowledge is the base
> > of the table and what each offset corresponds to.
> >
> > Also, as thought has there been any thought into have the YAFFS
> > licensed under LGPL or a BSD style license? I have heard that these
> > particular style licenses mean that if one links with it statically
> > itself does not attain the license as is the case with GPL.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Andrew Stanley Teirney

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