Via passing out linuxbios with out GPL?

Bari Ari bari at onelabs.com
Thu Feb 10 06:47:00 CET 2005


Ronald G. Minnich wrote:

> 
> On Wed, 9 Feb 2005, Adam Talbot wrote:
> 
> 
>>-Linux bios team
>>http://www.viaarena.com/guides/WinCE/fastboot%20v2.03.zip
>>Looks like via is passing out linux bios, with out ever saying any thing
>>about GPL or linuxbios.org...
> 
> 
> we've got a couple of GPL violators in the linuxbios space. I know Orion 
> Microsystems has got caught between a rock and a hard place and is 
> distributing linuxbios-based systems without releasing sources; I have no 
> idea if this via fastboot is linuxbios or not; via denies that it is.
> 
> I don't have the energy to pursue these guys. 

A quick peek through the binary shows:

Build Boot notes ... LinuxBIOS Build boot notes [FIRMWARE_TYPE](0x%x) ... ok
  LinuxBIOS Build boot notes [BOOTLOADER_NAME](0x%x)

Hmmm... what's this in here?

I've always found VIA to be pretty helpful. Maybe someone can politely 
contact them for more info.

-Bari




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