MegaSquirt and GNU

[steve ravet]

Bruce Bowling wrote:
> 6) I do not know anything about the GNU/GPL License, and right at the
> moment (due to the group purchase) I do not have the time to research what
> this implies (maybe people can educate me on this), so I cannot comment if
> this is something that MegaSquirt adopts. From what I gather, the MS
> project is already a GNU-like project, without the GNU stamp. The current
> focus is the ship out the 400+ group purchase kits, and help everyone
> assemble their kits and install them on vehicles, which includes developing
> detailed assembly and tuning documentation.

The important thing about the GPL is the concept of free software.  It
doesn't have to be free in the money sense, but it does have to be free
in the not restricted sense.  If I develop software and release it under
GPL, that doesn't mean I can't sell it but it does mean that I have to
make it freely available.  At first glance that may not make sense.  

GNU sells software on CD, and they sell manuals, but you don't have to
buy any of it because they also offer it freely for download.  Red Hat
also sells GNU software, but you don't have to buy it because the exact
CD that you buy from them, or that you get in a book, is freely
available from their WWW page.  It's up to the user if they do the work
for the free one, or pay for the conveniently prepared product.  GNU
doesn't care that Red Hat sells GNU software, as long as they also make
it freely available and give the user the choice of downloading it or
paying for it.  In addition to selling products, Red Hat sells service
for GNU software.

The other requirement of the GPL is that improvements to GPL products
fall under the GPL, and must be made freely available if they're made
available at all.

This concept applies very well to hardware projects.  Hardware released
under the GPL would have to have the important design info freely
available (schematics, software, etc.).  Bruce is free to sell boards
and kits, and users are free to buy boards from him, or make their own. 
Others are free to build boards from Bruce's design and sell them either
at cost or at profit.  There can't be much profit, though, because if
the seller wants too much money the buyer will either do it themselves
with the free design info, or buy Bruce's board, or organize their own
group buy, or ...  If someone improves on Bruce's board with newer parts
or a smaller layout then that improvement falls under the GPL and must
be made freely available if it's made available at all.

What are the advantages of this arrangement?

* no more bickering.  Theft isn't possible since the design is freely
available.  This is the main reason we adopted this policy.

* designer is allowed to make money from his design.  There's nothing
wrong with supporting your hobby (or your family) by making goods and
services available to others.

* development is encouraged.  People who sell GPL products for profit
are motivated to improve them, and those improvements are available to
everyone -- even the people who download the free versions without
paying a dime.

* slimeballs are discouraged.  Since the design is freely available, the
only thing that someone can charge money for is tangible items (boards,
parts kits, etc.), and support after the sale.  You can't charge much
over cost for tangibles, because anyone else can go buy the parts
themselves.  And a slimeball won't be able to support the product, so
there's no money available there either.

This model works, and it works on a large scale -- AMD has donated
hardware to the Linux community to make sure they'll support the
Sledgehammer chip, Red Hat donates hardware to GNU to help improve the
free software that they sell.  Even companies like Compaq and Dell, who
most would think are in league with Hell's remote office in Redmond,
sell GNU products and provide support and development back to the free
community.

--steve

-- 
Steve Ravet
steve.ravet at arm.com
ARM,Inc.
www.arm.com

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