Technicolor GPL Source Code Request

[lleachii]

@bluewavenet

Typically a manufacturer will use imagebuilder to add their own code to make a custom image without looking at the OpenWrt sources.
Nothing in the GPL prevents this.
If a particular manufacturer were to modify the OpenWrt sources and recompile then yes the GPL is clear on their responsibilities.

This is inaccurate. Since there's no way for the end-user to recreate the actual binary firmware (i.e. since it was made on image builder), they would be required to provide the environment (minus proprietary blobs copied/pasted, but with patches included).

@dlakelan

If you distribute the kernel or any other gpl software you must provide the code you used to build that binary as well as all of the build environment you used so that others can build it.

@eduperez

That's why GPL software is used just by amateurs at home (and some small and unaware companies like IBM, Oracle, FaceBook, Amazon, ...).

In my case, the software I need is an edit of an open source kernel driver, as well as other open source software that was altered to expose other WiFi Channels. Also, I am seeking changes to OLSR routing that make it incompatible with the OLSR packaged with OpenWrt (the other problem arises that the other project's developers call the daemon OSLR and oslrd, but the license seems to prohibit that without the accompanying license). In fact, I have yet to find the OSLR license in these projects (a requirement of the OSLR license).