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docs/manual: add section about patch licensing

Use the same text that is used in COPYING.

Signed-off-by: Luca Ceresoli <luca@lucaceresoli.net>
Cc: "Yann E. MORIN" <yann.morin.1998@free.fr>
Cc: Arnout Vandecappelle (Essensium/Mind) <arnout@mind.be>
Cc: Peter Korsgaard <peter@korsgaard.com>
Cc: Thomas Petazzoni <thomas.petazzoni@free-electrons.com>
Cc: Steve Calfee <stevecalfee@gmail.com>
Acked-by: Thomas Petazzoni <thomas.petazzoni@free-electrons.com>
Signed-off-by: Peter Korsgaard <peter@korsgaard.com>
Luca Ceresoli 9 years ago
parent
commit
2004003697
2 changed files with 16 additions and 3 deletions
  1. 15 2
      docs/manual/legal-notice.txt
  2. 1 1
      docs/manual/patch-policy.txt

+ 15 - 2
docs/manual/legal-notice.txt

@@ -134,11 +134,13 @@ Buildroot, with the name used in the manifest files:
   http://apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html[
   http://apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html[
   Apache License, version 2.0];
   Apache License, version 2.0];
 
 
+[[legal-info-buildroot]]
 === Complying with the Buildroot license
 === Complying with the Buildroot license
 
 
 Buildroot itself is an open source software, released under the
 Buildroot itself is an open source software, released under the
-http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html[GNU General Public
-License, version 2] or (at your option) any later version.
+http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html[GNU General
+Public License, version 2] or (at your option) any later version, with
+the exception of the package patches detailed below.
 However, being a build system, it is not normally part of the end product:
 However, being a build system, it is not normally part of the end product:
 if you develop the root filesystem, kernel, bootloader or toolchain for a
 if you develop the root filesystem, kernel, bootloader or toolchain for a
 device, the code of Buildroot is only present on the development machine, not
 device, the code of Buildroot is only present on the development machine, not
@@ -159,3 +161,14 @@ material that must be redistributed.
 
 
 Keep in mind that this is only the Buildroot developers' opinion, and you
 Keep in mind that this is only the Buildroot developers' opinion, and you
 should consult your legal department or lawyer in case of any doubt.
 should consult your legal department or lawyer in case of any doubt.
+
+==== Patches to packages
+
+Buildroot also bundles patch files, which are applied to the sources
+of the various packages. Those patches are not covered by the license
+of Buildroot. Instead, they are covered by the license of the software
+to which the patches are applied. When said software is available
+under multiple licenses, the Buildroot patches are only provided under
+the publicly accessible licenses.
+
+See xref:patch-policy[] for the technical details.

+ 1 - 1
docs/manual/patch-policy.txt

@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ If something goes wrong in the steps _3_ or _4_, then the build fails.
 === Format and licensing of the package patches
 === Format and licensing of the package patches
 
 
 Patches are released under the same license as the software they apply
 Patches are released under the same license as the software they apply
-to.
+to (see xref:legal-info-buildroot[]).
 
 
 A message explaining what the patch does, and why it is needed, should
 A message explaining what the patch does, and why it is needed, should
 be added in the header commentary of the patch.
 be added in the header commentary of the patch.