[ECOS] eCos License questions

["Richard Rauch" <rrauch at itrgmbh dot de>]

Hi All,

I have some questions about the eCos license model.
My company is working on eCos ports and enhancements for several customers.
The customers always are in doubt about the eCos License model and
contributions. 

So I want to clarify this issues.

1. Which code is covered from the eCos License?
Of course, if changes are made to the kernel itself or to other already
published sources, the resulting code must be made available, too.
But how drivers for special hardware must be handled, which are using only
the driver interface of eCos, but do not include any code from the
repository?
Is such a driver part of eCos and must be made available or is it allowed to
handle it like an application, which we do not have to distribute? 

2. How to distribute source code?
If some sourcecode must be made available, how we have to do this? Should
the code always be contributed to the eCos Community (eCos Maintainers) or
is it sufficient to keep the source code and deliver it to a interested
client on demand?
How long must the sourcecode be made available? Is it a fixed time span?
When yes, starts this time span after the development or after the last time
a product, containing this code, was selled?

3. Who has to make the source code available?
Is my company obligated to publish source code, when my company has got an
order from a customer to make developments, which are covered by the eCos
License?
Or is it enough that my company gives an advice to the customer, that the
delivered source code is covered by the eCos License and the customer is
obligated to publish the code?

Thanks in advance

Richard

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