[mythtv-users] Slightly OT: Interesting linux tidbit

[Bob]

Dewey Smolka wrote:

>>By the way, speaking of GPL, what constitutes "changes to pre-existing GPL
>>software"?  If a company uses a GPL software like Myth, then replaces various
>>modules for a different applications (say security), is that considered
>>"changes" or "new code"?
>>    
>>
>
>The way I understand it if you add, say, a system for managing
>security cameras to MythTV you can keep the plugin prorietary if
>you're using officially released, unaltered source for MythTV.
>However, If you alter any of the MythTV code, or include parts of
>MythTV or other GPL software in a closed binary, the source must be
>released under the GPL (at least to paying customers).
>
>In short: build a widget that sits on top of Myth but doesn't alter
>the source, you can keep it to yourself; build a widget that requires
>redoing parts of Myth (or any other GPL bits) and the widget is GPL as
>well.
>
>I may have this wrong, but that's how I understand it.
>  
>

I thought you could release a binary only widget but the alterations to 
GPL code that alow it to make use of the widget must be GPLd, (Nvidia 
drivers), in-fact this is how the whole DRM in Linux can be solved, a 
binary only, user space widget that decrypts the video feed on the fly.


-- 
tveeprom: Hauppauge: model = 34132, rev = J158,
tveeprom: tuner = Philips FM1236 MK3 (idx = 58, type = 4)
tveeprom: audio_processor = MSP3416 (type = 14)
(new type Model 401)
model name      : mobile AMD Athlon(tm) XP Processor
cpu MHz         : 2277.214
cache size      : 512 KB
(Plenty o' grunt on an ECS k7s5a MB)
Knoppmyth R5A16 (unmodified)
http://mysettopbox.tv/CHANGELOG.txt
MythTV 0.18.1