Re: [Qemu-devel] GPLv3 troubles

[Anthony Liguori]

On 10/17/2011 05:45 AM, Andreas Färber wrote:
> Am 15.10.2011 11:02, schrieb Blue Swirl:
> > On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 2:26 AM, Max Filippov<address@hidden>  wrote:
> > > diff --git a/target-xtensa/core-fsf/gdb-config.c 
> > > b/target-xtensa/core-fsf/gdb-config.c
> > > new file mode 100644
> > > index 0000000..6705d9c
> > > --- /dev/null
> > > +++ b/target-xtensa/core-fsf/gdb-config.c
> > > @@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
> > > +/* Configuration for the Xtensa architecture for GDB, the GNU debugger.
> > > +
> > > +   Copyright (C) 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> > > +
> > > +   This file is part of GDB.
> > > +
> > > +   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
> > > +   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
> > > +   the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
> >
> > Nack. GPLv3 is by design incompatible with GPLv2only (but not with
> > GPLv2+ or IIRC BSD-like) licenses. Please only use code from GDB
> > before v3 switch.
> >
> > As a side note, a quick grep shows that GPLv2only is a small minority
> > in QEMU. In theory it should be possible to agree to switch from
> > GPLv2only to some GPLv3 compatible license for all of QEMU code, or in
> > a theory with alternative universes, even get FSF to relicense GDB
> > under GPLv2only compatible way. Or, with the aid of infinite number of
> > monkeys of Internet waiting to waste their time, rewrite incompatible
> > but interesting parts of GDB or QEMU under The One True License of the
> > day.
>
> Could we please draft some policy on this? This is not a GDB issue, it's
> very general. Whether we like it or not, there is GPLv3-licensed code
> and there will probably be a GPLv4 one day.

I don't see anything wrong with GPLv2 only.  While I don't think there's 
anything wrong with GPLv3, I think that "or later" is a dangerous clause to add.

Regards,

Anthony Liguori

> IMO having old GPLv2-only code is one thing. But there's a lot of new
> GPLv2-only code cooking and occasionally pouring in, especially from
> qemu-kvm. Device assignment is a current example I encountered.
>
> If we could make checkpatch.pl detect new GPLv2-only code, then I would
> hope, given the dynamic QEMU development of the last few years, that the
> GPLv2-only portions become so small (both in relation and absolute) that
> they can either be replaced or the authors' permission be obtained to
> change the license to GPLv2-or-later.
>
> Andreas