The boot code from FreeBSD is under the BSD license. The code taken from the Linux PCI subsystem and Linux NIC drivers are under GPL. Some source files have been put under GPL by their authors. Hence the Etherboot distribution is in general under the GPL, but you may use parts of it derived from FreeBSD under FreeBSD rules. Simply speaking, the GPL says that if you distribute a binary derived from Etherboot code (this includes boot ROMs) you have to provide, or promise to provide on demand, the source code. The full conditions of the GPL are specified in the file COPYING.
Here are the copyright details of the source, file by file:
Files marked GPL may be used under the GPL. Files marked BSD may be used
under the GPL or BSD license. For other licenses see the respective source
for details. The BSD files are those inherited from FreeBSD netboot. The
GPL files are in general either from Linux or have been explicitly put
under GPL by the authors.
File Copyright status
3c509.c BSD
3c509.h BSD
3c515.c GPL
3c515_isapnp.h GPL
3c595.c BSD
3c595.h BSD
3c90x.c Open Source
ansiesc.c GPL
boot1a.s BSD
bootmenu.c BSD
cards.h GPL
comprefix.S GPL
config.c GPL
cs89x0.c GPL
cs89x0.h GPL
davicom.c GPL
depca.c GPL
disrom.pl GPL
e1000.c GPL
e1000.h GPL
e1000_fxhw.c GPL
e1000_fxhw.h GPL
e1000_phy.c GPL
e1000_phy.h GPL
eepro.c GPL
eepro100.c GPL
epic100.c None
epic100.h None
etherboot.h GPL
fa311.c GPL
floppy.c GPL
floppyload.S GPL
genrules.pl GPL
hfa384x.h GPL
i82586.c GPL
lance.c GPL
liloprefix.S GPL
linux-asm-io.h GPL
linux-asm-string.h None
linuxbios.c GPL
linuxbios_tables.h GPL
loader.S BSD/GPL?
lzhuf.c Open Source
main.c BSD
makerom.c BSD
makerom.pl/modrom.pl GPL
md5.c GPL
memsizes.c None
misc.c BSD
natsemi.c GPL
nfs.c GPL
ni5010.c GPL
nic.h GPL
ns8390.c BSD
ns8390.h BSD
osdep.h BSD
osloader.c GPL
otulip.c BSD
otulip.h BSD
p80211hdr.h GPL
pcbios.S GPL
pci.c GPL
pci.h GPL
prism2.c GPL
prism2_pci.c GPL
prism2_plx.c GPL
rtl8139.c GPL
serial.S Mach
sis900.c GPL
sis900.h GPL
sk_g16.c GPL
sk_g16.h GPL
skel.c GPL
smc9000.c GPL
smc9000.h GPL
start32.S BSD
swapdevids.pl GPL
tiara.c GPL
timer.c GPL
timer.h GPL
tulip.c BSD
via-rhine.c GPL
w89c840.c GPL
wlan_compat.h GPL
This lengthy notice is required for serial.S:
/*
* Mach Operating System
* Copyright (c) 1992, 1991 Carnegie Mellon University
* All Rights Reserved.
*
* Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and its
* documentation is hereby granted, provided that both the copyright
* notice and this permission notice appear in all copies of the
* software, derivative works or modified versions, and any portions
* thereof, and that both notices appear in supporting documentation.
*
* CARNEGIE MELLON ALLOWS FREE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE IN ITS "AS IS"
* CONDITION. CARNEGIE MELLON DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY OF ANY KIND FOR
* ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
*
* Carnegie Mellon requests users of this software to return to
*
* Software Distribution Coordinator or Software.Distribution@CS.CMU.EDU
* School of Computer Science
* Carnegie Mellon University
* Pittsburgh PA 15213-3890
*
* any improvements or extensions that they make and grant Carnegie Mellon
* the rights to redistribute these changes.
*
* from: Mach, Revision 2.2 92/04/04 11:34:26 rpd
* $Id: userman-11.html,v 1.2 2004/03/09 06:48:45 stick Exp $
*/
/*
Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
by Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, California.
All Rights Reserved
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and
its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby
granted, provided that the above copyright notice appears in all
copies and that both the copyright notice and this permission notice
appear in supporting documentation, and that the name of Intel
not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution
of the software without specific, written prior permission.
INTEL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE
INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS,
IN NO EVENT SHALL INTEL BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM
LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
NEGLIGENCE, OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
*/
/*
* Serial bootblock interface routines
* Copyright (c) 1994, J"org Wunsch
*
* Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and its
* documentation is hereby granted, provided that both the copyright
* notice and this permission notice appear in all copies of the
* software, derivative works or modified versions, and any portions
* thereof, and that both notices appear in supporting documentation.
*
* THE AUTHOR ALLOWS FREE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE IN ITS "AS IS"
* CONDITION. THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY OF ANY KIND FOR
* ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
*/