Android kernel source - GPL violation

Other OS Support
1

Hello everyone,

I am writing this because of the Android kernel sources for the Rubik Pi 3 by Thundercomm are not available to the public. In this forum, it was mentioned that the sources are ONLY available for ““enterprise-level users””.

The GPL version 2 mandates that any derivative work based on GPL-licensed software must make the corresponding source code available to the public. This requirement ensures that users have the freedom to use, study, share, and modify the software, promoting transparency, security, and community collaboration.

To comply with the GPL, Thundercomm must release the complete and corresponding source code for the version of Android running on the Rubik Pi 3, including all modifications and any additional modules or extensions that interact with the kernel.

If Thundercomm fails to release the source code in a timely manner, it would constitute a violation of the GPL. In such a case, it will be necessary to report this GPL violation to the appropriate authorities and the open-source community to ensure that the terms of the GPL are enforced.

It’s crucial for Thundercomm to uphold the principles of open-source software and comply with the GPL by releasing the source code for their devices.

It would also be rather nice if Thundercomm decides to upload the device trees for AOSP.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

3 Likes
2

Hi everyone,

Thank you for sharing your concerns. We take open-source compliance and the GPLv2 license very seriously.

Regarding the Rubik Pi 3 (Qualcomm QCS6490 platform), we are currently re-validating the specific licensing boundaries for the Android software stack with our upstream chipset provider. Since our product involves a complex mix of proprietary vendor modules and open-source components, we are conducting this review to ensure that our distribution strategy remains fully compliant with both community licenses (GPL) and our commercial agreements.

While we finalize this verification process , you can refer to the upstream Qualcomm Android kernel repositories, which serve as the baseline for this platform:

We appreciate your patience as we complete these necessary legal and compliance checks.

If you have any questions, please contact us via email at service@thundercomm.com.

1 Like
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Hello, it has been 19 days already.
The full android kernel source has still not been published.

4

We are currently arranging and preparing the source code, which is expected to be released to GitHub within the next 2-3 weeks. Thank you for your patience.

5

I see the kernel for android of Rubik Pi 3 was released on Feb:

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The kernel base is NOT the proper one. They just took whatever was the pinned branch in CodeLinaro.

The full kernel source has NOT been published and Thundercomm is OBLIGATED to push all sources including dts.

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full source has been released. please check my previous comment again. thanks!

8

I suggest you re-check your post.

The “kernel base” is the opensynergy branch of the kernel, it has 0 qualcomm lahaina/kodiak code.

The “patches” don’t apply to any random source tree. we need the exact commit hash and the dts source for stuff like the lt9611 bridge to function.

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You previous mentioned the base was from codelinaro, which means it’s for QC SoC.
And here you say it does not support QC SoC.

Why you say it’s random tree?

GPL does not require commit hash.

This thread is about GPL violation. I think it’s resolved.
If you have issue to apply the patches, it’s better to start another thread. Thank you!

10

Okay so take a look into the “kernel base” you sent and try to find lahaina gki/qgki defconfig.
You won’t. That kernel branch is NOT for Kodiak (Qualcomm 6490/7280/7325 platform).

About “random tree” I meant that if you pick any msm-5.4 tree (which IS for our platform) and try to apply it, there will be many mismatches.

We still need the DTS source (customized for rubik pi 3) for full bringup.

11

You asked, we listened.
We updated the github repo, and applied our patch on top of QC’s kernel hosted on codelinaro.

QC baseline version: QCM6490.LA.3.0 Post-CS12 r00048.1
QC kernel: https://git.codelinaro.org/clo/la/kernel/msm-5.4/-/commits/dc356156075532b66893520911e5243414c83a09
Rubik Pi 3 / Android13 kernel on github: GitHub - rubikpi-ai/linux-android13 · GitHub