DRM radeon i2c support and GPL

[Adam Jackson]

On Monday 20 September 2004 05:57, Keith Whitwell wrote:
> Jon Smirl wrote:
> > I just checked a small change into DRM CVS that adds sysfs i2c support
> > to the linux radeon driver. The patch includes some GPL licensed code
> > extracted from the Linux kernel. The GPL files are only in the
> > drm/linux directory. No GPL code was added to drm/shared or drm/bsd so
> > the BSD build does not include the GPL code. The two GPL licensed
> > files are clearly marked including warnings not to copy them into the
> > BSD build.
>
> The issue with GPL and drm is as I have stated several times now that we've
> wanted XFree, and now Xorg, to be able to distribute this code as part of
> their tree.
>
> XFree86 had a strong policy against allowing GPL into their tree, I don't
> know what Xorg's stand is.  Maybe someone can comment from there?

I've not heard any discussion to the contrary, so I would assume this is still 
the case.

xc/extras/README claims:
"Packages included here must be redistributable under conditions compatible
with the XFree86 redistribution conditions (see
xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/COPYRIGHT for examples of compatible
licences)."

Of course that file no longer exists, and hasn't since before XFree86 4.0.  
When it did exist, it only made reference to BSD-style licenses:
http://cvsweb.xfree86.org/cvsweb/xc/programs/Xserver/hw/xfree86/doc/Attic/COPYRIGHT

So this may be an open policy question still, but I suspect the answer is 
still "No GPL code".

---

To be honest, I'd just as soon see Mesa removed from extras/ entirely, but - 
besides libGLcore - we can't do that until one of Mesa's build targets 
(linux-dri probably) is capable of generating a libGL that acts as a GLX 
client.  This would involve moving the GLX client code from xc/lib/GL/glx 
into Mesa; I understand there's been some resistance to that idea in the 
past.

- ajax