Standalone application - expanding export functions

Hi,

I was going through the document in doc/README.standalone. It says I can
add addition functions to export/_export.h:

" To export some additional function foobar(), the following steps
should be undertaken:
- Append the following line at the end of the include/_exports.h file:
EXPORT_FUNC(foobar) "

But the discussion in the following thread by Wolfgang says the standalone function will have to be GPLed if expanded.

http://u-boot.10912.n7.nabble.com/Using-U-Boot-in-a-mixed-licensed-environment-td142874.html

I am confused. Can you please clarify if we can expand the export functions with both with u-boot code functions and the functions I add to u-boot and still not to GPL the standalone application if it uses those functions?

Thanks,
-Sudhakar

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Dear swami91,

The license exception for standalone applications applies to the existing export list. You can extend the interface, but then the resulting code (including the SA application) would be covered by the GPL.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
God is real, unless declared integer.

Wolfgang, Thanks for the quick response.

Suppose, say I add more functions to export/_export.h files and call it from standalone application. But if I release only the u-boot binary and don't release the binary of the standalone application should the standalone application source need to be released under GPL?

Thanks,
-Sudhakar

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Dear Sudhakar,

If you do not distribute copies of the code, you do not have to release the source code for it. The requirements of the GPL for providing the source code are only for the situation when distri- bute the code.

Note however that you would have to be extremely careful - you would have to make very prominet notice in the documentation and the source code that the license exception for Standalone appliations does NOT apply for your modified version of the U-Boot source code. The big problem is that someone could use your extended jump table as base for his own legacy SA applications, while this would be incorrect.

May I ask what exactly you are trying to do that triggers these questions? What is the intellectual property in your AS app that appears to be so critical that you cannot release the code under GPL?

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
To get something done, a committee should consist  of  no  more  than
three men, two of them absent.