How do you really do GPL enforcement?

aka Bringing software right-to-repair to the masses

Denver Gingerich

SFSCON 2023

Friday 10 November 2023

https://ossguy.com/talks/20231110_sfscon/

Why are we here?

freedom!

to repair, modify, update our device (software)

"our source request was not made because we wanted [company] to go to the website of each project it uses and give us the tarball found on that website. If that's all the GPL required, it would be quite a silly make-work license. That's not what the GPL is; it requires..."

"the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable"

Enforcement, from violation report to compliance

report received (at compliance@sfconservancy.org)

triaging of report - GPL binaries given, no source/offer?

offer check, contact the company

complete corresponding source (CCS) check

back to contacting? how many times?

it works! get it to users! or...

file a lawsuit :(

Show me the source!

talk is cheap, let's see some code

sure, we've got source code candidates for you

https://sfconservancy.org/usethesource/

go ahead, try them out

or keep listening if you like

let's break it down...

The CCS check

"the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable"

therefore...

does it compile?

does it install?

oh, wait: is it "the complete corresponding ... source"?

Does it compile?

where is the README?

great! or let's try make...

need a certain OS? sure, use that...

ok, now I'm compiling!

uhoh, an error

is it my fault? if you followed the steps, no

or ... I got a firmware image!

Does it install?

let's find that README again...

one option: put it into that update UI

install, works?!

let's change something just to be sure

still works! or ...

uhoh, bricked my device :(

Is it "the complete corresponding ... source"?

proprietary kernel modules? * sigh *

any other non-source-code stuff?

generated stuff similar to stock image?

no problems - huzzah!!

Does it ...? No :(

contact the company

try really hard

file lawsuit :(

What can I do?

offer checks!

CCS checks!

let us know!

Questions?

https://sfconservancy.org/usethesource/

help us: https://sfconservancy.org/copyleft-compliance/help.html

slides: https://ossguy.com/talks/20231110_sfscon/