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<TITLE>RE: [PATCH 12/60] microblaze_v4: Generic dts file for platforms</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>In my opionion, we should only include dts files for reference designs, and it must be documented how to get the design that the dts corresponds to.<BR>
MD5 hashing might be one way to prevent people from getting the dts file wrong, however without some way of checking it automatically, I don't think<BR>
anyone will have the patience to checksum the design they have (even worse, with whitespace changes, the md5 sum will change, so this is pretty fragile.<BR>
Having a device tree in the kernel for documentation *shouldn't* be necessary, since noone should ever write their dts by hand. (right?)<BR>
Hence, I'd prefer to not put the dts file in the kernel at all, and but to automatically generate the dts and store it in the blockram of the design.<BR>
This inextricably associates the dts with the design.<BR>
<BR>
As for the copyright, I haven't been able to find much information on whether or not generated files are even copyrightable. One might argue that they<BR>
don't have sufficient 'creative value' to be copyrightable. Or arguably, they are as copyrightable by the generator author as by the author or the .mhs file.<BR>
I admit in this case, I've followed the safe route by claiming a copyright, which at least at Xilinx has significant precedent.<BR>
<BR>
Steve<BR>
<BR>
-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: John Williams [<A HREF="mailto:john.williams@petalogix.com">mailto:john.williams@petalogix.com</A>]<BR>
Sent: Sun 6/29/2008 5:02 PM<BR>
To: grant.likely@secretlab.ca<BR>
Cc: monstr@seznam.cz; linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org; arnd@arndb.de; linux-arch@vger.kernel.org; Stephen Neuendorffer; John Linn; matthew@wil.cx; will.newton@gmail.com; drepper@redhat.com; microblaze-uclinux@itee.uq.edu.au; linuxppc-dev@ozlabs.org; vapier.adi@gmail.com; alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk; hpa@zytor.com; Michal Simek<BR>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 12/60] microblaze_v4: Generic dts file for platforms<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, Jun 28, 2008 at 3:49 PM, Grant Likely <grant.likely@secretlab.ca> wrote:<BR>
> On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 5:29 AM, <monstr@seznam.cz> wrote:<BR>
>> From: Michal Simek <monstr@monstr.eu><BR>
<BR>
>> arch/microblaze/platform/generic/system.dts | 300 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++<BR>
<BR>
> Since this is a generated file, and entirely bitstream specific, does<BR>
> it make sense to include it in the kernel tree? If it does, then is<BR>
> it produced from one of the Xilinx reference designs? Can you add<BR>
> documentation to the header that specifies exactly which design<BR>
> version this .dts is for?<BR>
<BR>
I think there's value in having a generic DTS as an example or<BR>
template, even if it doesn't correspond to any specific machine.<BR>
Agreed a comment block explaining this is valuable.<BR>
<BR>
I'd almost oppose any attempt to include a standard DTS for things<BR>
like ML401 boards etc - they are just misleading. Unless we do MD5<BR>
hashes on MHS files, and use them as the filenames, any attempt to<BR>
define a standard platform will just fail and confuse people. Better<BR>
to show them how to generate the DTS for their system.<BR>
<BR>
>> +/*<BR>
>> + * (C) Copyright 2007-2008 Xilinx, Inc.<BR>
>> + * (C) Copyright 2007-2008 Michal Simek<BR>
>> + *<BR>
>> + * Michal SIMEK <monstr@monstr.eu><BR>
><BR>
> If this is a generated file, then is this copyright notice even appropriate?<BR>
<BR>
I agree. I think Michal is just copying Xilinx's habit of putting<BR>
copyright headers in generated files, and it's one that we should stop<BR>
now.<BR>
<BR>
Regards,<BR>
<BR>
John<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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