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Author | strongerHuang
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Many software (libraries) are open source, but that does not mean you can use them freely; you still need to comply with the corresponding License.
Today, I will explain the open source RTOS we commonly use: the licensing content of FreeRTOS and related License information.
License means permission; although we can use many software for free, we still need to comply with licenses, such as the open source license.
Categories of Open Source Licenses:
GNU GPL: GNU General Public License.
Main Features of GPL Open Source License:
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Freedom to Copy: Allows copying software to anyone’s computer without limiting the number of copies.
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Freedom to Distribute: Allows software to be distributed in various forms.
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Paid Distribution: Allows selling the software on various media but must inform buyers that the software is available for free; thus, open source software generally profits by providing paid services.
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Freedom to Modify: Allows developers to add or remove features, but modified software must still be licensed under GPL.
BSD: Berkeley Software Distribution License.
BSD is more business-friendly; many companies prefer BSD licenses when choosing open source products because they can fully control third-party code and even modify or redevelop it when necessary.
Full name Apache License Version.
MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the least restrictive open source licenses (less restrictive than BSD and Apache).
As long as the developer retains the original author’s license information in the modified source code, it is widely used in commercial software.
GNU Lesser General Public License.
LGPL is a derivative version of GPL, also known as GPL V2, mainly designed for libraries.
LGPL allows commercial software to use LGPL libraries through linking without needing to open source the commercial software’s code. This allows open source code licensed under LGPL to be referenced and sold as libraries in commercial software.
Open source does not equal free:
Open source software refers to software with publicly available source code: Open source software comes with the source code upon release, allowing users to modify, distribute, or redevelop it.
Free software means software provided free of charge to users: However, while free, there are usually some restrictions, such as the source code not being public, users cannot modify it freely, or redistribute it.
You can refer to the previously shared article:How Programmers Choose Open Source Licenses?
Although FreeRTOS is free, it must comply with the MIT open source license.
Including but not limited to the following rights: using, copying, modifying, merging, publishing, distributing, sublicensing, or selling copies of the content.
FreeRTOS software is provided “as is” without any form of express or implied warranty. Implied warranties include but are not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
In no event shall the author or copyright holder be liable for any claims, damages, or other liabilities, whether in an action of contract, tort, or otherwise, arising from, out of, or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.
FreeRTOS also has a corresponding commercial system: OpenRTOS.
It is similar to FreeRTOS but does not require commercial payment. The differences are listed below:
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