The Linux Kernel and Castle Technology Ltd, UK

The Linux Kernel and Castle Technology Ltd, UK

[Russell King]

Hi all,

I'm afraid that I have to bring this news to linux-kernel; people who
have written code for the Linux kernel need to know about this, and
we need to come to a decision about the action we wish to take.  Taking
no action sends a message that "we don't care what you do with kernel
code, even if you violate the terms of the license."



It would appear that Castle Technology Limited, UK, have taken some
of the Linux kernel 2.5 code, and incorporated it into their own
product, "RISC OS", which is distributed in binary ROM form built
into machines they sell.  This code is linked with other proprietary
code.

I have a detailed description which shows how the Linux source code
can be slightly modified to produce the disputed code, with reasons
each modification.  This will be provided to people upon private
email request.

Having discussed this with Linus, Linus is of the opinion that a
public letter should be written to Castle Technology Ltd, copied to
lkml and various news sites.  However, I'd like to get this issue
into the minds of people who have touched any of the following code:

 - PCI subsystem
 - IO resource allocation

The guy who reported the problem to me has already tried to contact
the company concerned to ask for the source under the terms of the GPL,
and this resulted in the "function signatures" being removed in the
next version of the product, while the actual code remained.  No other
response was forthcoming.

Subsequently, during the first week of January, the guy has contacted
the company again asking for the source covering the disputed code,
this time copying me with the email.  Again, no repsonse from
Castle Technology has been forthcoming to date.

Thanks.

-- 
Russell King (rmk@arm.linux.org.uk)                The developer of ARM Linux
             http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/personal/aboutme.html

Re: The Linux Kernel and Castle Technology Ltd, UK

[Mailing Lists]

On Fri, 7 Feb 2003, Russell King wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> I'm afraid that I have to bring this news to linux-kernel; people who
> have written code for the Linux kernel need to know about this, and
> we need to come to a decision about the action we wish to take.  Taking
> no action sends a message that "we don't care what you do with kernel
> code, even if you violate the terms of the license."
> 

what's interesting is that it's very subtly confirmed on their website.
At http://www.iyonix.com/32bit/PCI_API.shtml in "Introdcution"

 "Note that the source code for many of the Linux PCI device drivers is 
 publicly available on the Internet and may be useful in developing the 
 corresponding RISC OS device driver. "

-Tony

Re: The Linux Kernel and Castle Technology Ltd, UK

[Russell King]

Castle Technology Limited ask me to post this press release to the
Linux Kernel mailing list.

By posting this press release, I wish to make it absolutely clear
that I am not expressing any views either way with respect to this
press release, merely passing the information on as requested.

-- 
Russell King (rmk@arm.linux.org.uk)                The developer of ARM Linux
             http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/personal/aboutme.html

-----------------------------[ cut here ]----------------------------

PRESS RELEASE

10th February 2003

Castle Technology Limited note with interest the recent discussion
regarding their IYONIX computer, the world's first desktop computer
to use the Intel XScale processor.

Following discussions with Russell King and with this in mind, Castle
should like to respond to claims originally proposed in Justin Fletcher's
"ReadMe.txt" file and Russell King's subsequent posting to the Linux
Kernel Mailing List.

The RISC OS 5.00 kernel did not contain work taken from or derived from
the ARM-Linux or Linux kernel.

The RISC OS 5.01 kernel did not contain work taken from or derived from
the ARM-Linux or Linux kernel.

The RISC OS 5.02 kernel does not contain work taken from or derived from
the ARM-Linux or Linux kernel.

There are no plans to use GPL derived code in any part of the RISC OS
kernel in the future.

For the avoidance of doubt, the hardware abstraction layer (roughly
analogous to a PC's BIOS) has it's PCI allocation and bridge setup
based in part on the following functions from the Linux kernel sources:
 
 pci_alloc_primary_bus
 pbus_size_bridges
 pbus_assign_resources_sorted
 pci_setup_bridge
 pci_bridge_check_ranges
 pbus_size_mem
 pbus_assign_resources
 pci_assign_unassigned_resources
 pci_scan_bus
 pcibios_update_resource
 pci_read_bases
 pci_alloc_bus
 pci_add_new_bus
 pci_do_scan_bus
 pci_scan_bridge
 pci_setup_device
 pci_scan_device
 pci_scan_slot
 pcibios_fixup_bus
 pci_calc_resource_flags
 pci_size
 pdev_fixup_device_resources
 pbus_assign_bus_resources
 pci_do_scan_bus
 pcibios_fixup_pbus_ranges
 pci_assign_resource
 pdev_sort_resources
 pdev_enable_device
 pbus_size_io

Any company or individual wishing to receive a copy of the source code
to this component should apply in writing to:

 The Managing Director
 Castle Technology Ltd
 Ore Trading Estate
 Woodbridge Road
 Framlingham
 Suffolk
 IP13 9LL

enclosing a formatted 3.5" floppy diskette and return postage stamps,
or international reply coupons for those outside the United Kingdom.

These sources will also form an integral part of a forthcoming Linux
port to the IYONIX.

With the tough goal of fitting all of the supporting software and
applications for the IYONIX computer into just 4Mbytes of ROM, later
issues of the supporting software have had to have function names
removed (along with a strategy of tokenising textual messages and
compressing binaries) to make room for, in particular, the support
for the 'boot keyboard' USB drivers.

Issued by Mike Williams on behalf of Castle Technology Ltd

Re: The Linux Kernel and Castle Technology Ltd, UK

[Alan J. Wylie]

On Fri, 07 Feb 2003 16:30:07 +0100, Russell King <rmk@arm.linux.org.uk> said:

> It would appear that Castle Technology Limited, UK, have taken some
> of the Linux kernel 2.5 code, and incorporated it into their own
> product, "RISC OS",

There is more than one player involved with RISC OS:

Pace Micro, of Saltaire, West Yorkshire

http://www.pace.co.uk/

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=PIC.L&d=c&k=c1&a=v&p=s&t=5y&l=on&z=m&q=l

seem to own the Copyright.

And RISCOS Ltd., of Cardiff, Wales 

http://www.riscos.com/

are involved as well.

-- 
Alan J. Wylie                            http://www.glaramara.freeserve.co.uk/

I'm looking for a job.      CV at http://www.glaramara.freeserve.co.uk/cv.html
Unix/Linux/C/Internet/embedded and lots more.           UK:Bradford/Manchester

Re: The Linux Kernel and Castle Technology Ltd, UK

[Russell King]

On Fri, Feb 07, 2003 at 11:59:36PM +0000, Alan J. Wylie wrote:
> On Fri, 07 Feb 2003 16:30:07 +0100, Russell King <rmk@arm.linux.org.uk> said:
> > It would appear that Castle Technology Limited, UK, have taken some
> > of the Linux kernel 2.5 code, and incorporated it into their own
> > product, "RISC OS",
> 
> There is more than one player involved with RISC OS:
> 
> Pace Micro, of Saltaire, West Yorkshire
> 
> http://www.pace.co.uk/
> 
> http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=PIC.L&d=c&k=c1&a=v&p=s&t=5y&l=on&z=m&q=l
> 
> seem to own the Copyright.
> 
> And RISCOS Ltd., of Cardiff, Wales 
> 
> http://www.riscos.com/
> 
> are involved as well.

I'd like to point out, however, that Pace sub-license RISC OS.  As
far as I am aware at present, RISCOS Ltd do not distribute the code
in question, and neither does Pace Microtechnology Ltd.

It has come to my attention that some people are trying to implicate
the above companies in this.

I would strongly suggest people do not start to make (unfounded) claims
against neither RISCOS Ltd nor Pace Microtechnology Ltd unless they
have proof, in which case such proof should first contact the
appropriate copyright holders concerned.

-- 
Russell King (rmk@arm.linux.org.uk)                The developer of ARM Linux
             http://www.arm.linux.org.uk/personal/aboutme.html