Re: [gentoo-dev] borked release media

[Fernando Reyes]

I don't know the details of the issue but I know that I was prevented from using grub on the livedvd. 

Rich Freeman <rich0@g.o> wrote:

>On Sun, Dec 9, 2012 at 12:23 PM, Fernando Reyes
><likewhoa@××××××××××××.com> wrote:
>> grub seems out of the questions because of licensing issues.
>
>What licensing issues?  Just distribute the source.  If the Gentoo
>Foundation goes into the hardware business and starts distributing
>hardware that only boots Gentoo-signed grub bootloaders then we'll
>have to distribute our private key.  Or we could just be intelligent
>and not distribute hardware that only boots Gentoo-signed grub
>bootloaders.
>
>For some reason everybody goes nuts over UEFI and GPLv3.  The license
>isn't any more unclear about that than anything else that people go
>nuts over the GPL about.
>
>GPLv3 states:
>If you convey an object code work under this section in, or with, or
>specifically for use in, a User Product, and the conveying occurs as
>part of a transaction in which the right of possession and use of the
>User Product is transferred to the recipient in perpetuity or for a
>fixed term (regardless of how the transaction is characterized), the
>Corresponding Source conveyed under this section must be accompanied
>by the Installation Information.
>
>You only need to provide installation information if "the conveying
>occurs as part of a transaction in which the right of possession and
>use of the User Product is transferred to the recipient in perpetuity
>or for a fixed term."  So, as long as Gentoo doesn't distribute
>hardware, we aren't bound by that clause.
>
>If somebody else distributes hardware that only boots Gentoo-signed
>GRUB bootloaders then they'll need to distribute the Gentoo private
>keys along with them or they can be sued by the Grub copyright
>holders.  If they ask us for said keys we'll just say no, and they can
>fight it out with the FSF.  We aren't the ones distributing Grub out
>of compliance, so we haven't violated the license.
>
>If somebody has a specific licensing-related concern we can always
>have the Foundation/ licensing team look into it, as we are already
>doing with the copyright attribution question.
>
>Rich
>