A question about the license of rtems

[Tim Cussins]

On Friday 26 September 2008 10:47:37 PowerMan wrote:
> hello,
>     I am developing a security production using rtems.
> because of the GPL license of rtmes, I should share the
> source code.

RTEMS license is not exactly GPL - it's GPL with an exception:

http://www.rtems.org/license/LICENSE

>     but the production is designed to solve security problem.
> Opening the source would make the production useless.
> Bad people could crack our system easily.
>
>     So, I make rtems to a library, my key code to another lib.
> Then I link them together to produce the final execution.
>
> Need I open the key code?

No. Unless your app ('key') code uses a license that imposes further 
restrictions, like pure GPL or LGPL.

Here's a link to the RTEMS mailing list archive - the thread is a recent 
discussion that clarifies the motivation for, and implications of this 
exception:

http://www.rtems.com/ml/rtems-users/2008/july/msg00066.html

This followup makes an important point about using GPL libs that have been 
ported/verified on RTEMS, but are not included in the main distribution.

http://www.rtems.com/ml/rtems-users/2008/july/msg00068.html

HTH,

Tim