Xilinx License Acceptable for RTEMS?

[Joel Sherrill]

On Thu, Jan 24, 2019 at 8:04 AM Sebastian Huber <
sebastian.huber at embedded-brains.de> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> some Xilinx drivers use this license:
>
>
> /******************************************************************************
> *
> * Copyright (C) 2014 Xilinx, Inc.  All rights reserved.
> *
> * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
> a copy
> * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
> to deal
> * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the
> rights
> * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
> * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
> * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
> *
> * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
> in
> * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
> *
> * Use of the Software is limited solely to applications:
> * (a) running on a Xilinx device, or
> * (b) that interact with a Xilinx device through a bus or interconnect.
> *
> * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
> OR
> * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
> * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
> * XILINX  BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
> * WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF
> * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
> * SOFTWARE.
> *
> * Except as contained in this notice, the name of the Xilinx shall not
> be used
> * in advertising or otherwise to promote the sale, use or other dealings in
> * this Software without prior written authorization from Xilinx.
> *
>
> ******************************************************************************/
>
> It is an open source license, but it is has the following limitations:
>
> "* Use of the Software is limited solely to applications:
> * (a) running on a Xilinx device, or
> * (b) that interact with a Xilinx device through a bus or interconnect."
>
> This is not a big deal for driver code intended for Xilinx devices.
> Would it be acceptable for the RTEMS repository?
>

We have never thought that was acceptable in the past. There is code for
Intel
flash and if there were flash chips with the same interface (likely), then
we would
have encouraged license infringement. The overarching argument is whether
inclusion of this code goes against the rule that we are promising users
that
no code imposes an obligation on them.

In this case, my biggest concern is whether this code is truly for things
unique to Xilinx parts or is it for IP modules from ARM and Synopsys.
If for Xilinx specific IP modules, then we can debate that.

If the code if for ARM or Synopsys IP modules, then I am going to
come down firmly on the no side. The SoC we are working with
is a complex integration of IP from ARM, Synopsys and other
IP vendors. If the two parts we are working with share the same
IP module, then RTEMS protocol calls for it to be in shared and
used by both BSPs. We would end up with two copies of the code
with one shareable across BSPs and one locked to the Xilinx.
In this case, we are violating our guiding principle.

--joel

>
> --
> Sebastian Huber, embedded brains GmbH
>
> Address : Dornierstr. 4, D-82178 Puchheim, Germany
> Phone   : +49 89 189 47 41-16
> Fax     : +49 89 189 47 41-09
> E-Mail  : sebastian.huber at embedded-brains.de
> PGP     : Public key available on request.
>
> Diese Nachricht ist keine geschäftliche Mitteilung im Sinne des EHUG.
>
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