On Tue, 2009-02-03 at 09:10 -0500, Chris Zimman wrote: > > Under section 2(c) of the GPL it isn't really an option: > > > > c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively > > when run, you must cause it, when started running for such > > interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an > > announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a > > notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide > > a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under > > these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this > > License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but > > does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on > > the Program is not required to print an announcement.) > > > > And of course RedBoot does print that sort of announcement (copyrights) > > and has done from the outset. It's been strictly incorrect for RedBoot not > > to comply with 2(c) for as long as it has (since the RHEPL->GPL+exception > > switch). It does seem an appropriate thing for RedBoot to say too. > > I don't understand your read of this. By my read, section 2 deals with > modified software. > This is saying that if a program is a derivative of a program that does print > license info, then it's required to do so as well. > Given that Redboot isn't really a derivative of anything that (AFAIK) does > so, I don't understand how it's required to. > > U-Boot is also GPL'd and doesn't print any license info when it starts up.
I tend to agree with Chris, here. Some other examples of GPL interactive apps which don't print banners: guile, bash, etc. --Mark -- Before posting, please read the FAQ: http://ecos.sourceware.org/fom/ecos and search the list archive: http://ecos.sourceware.org/ml/ecos-discuss
