Is the source code available for the Digi CM and Passport models?
Given that they are Linux-based systems, I would think this would have to be released under the terms of the GPL.
I’m asking because I’m personally motivated to fix a bug (which I’ve reported already), but it could also be pretty nice for Digi to get community-contributed features or fixes.
Thanks.
To comply with the terms of the GPLv2 under which some of the Digi CM and Passport device software was developed, Digi must make available the sources, including any enhancements they’ve made to them.
That means at minimum Digi needs to publish at least the Linux kernel source code and any custom drivers used in the firmware for the Digi CM and Passport series of devices.
How many people want this doesn’t really matter (since occasionally a Digi rep will say “one or two people won’t make this a priority” when someone asks a question); they are obligated to do this as a matter of legal compliance with the license under which they obtained the kernel.
Fortunately, since they’ve released updates within the last five years or so, they clearly know where the code is so they should be able to just create an archive of the state of the kernel code for the latest firmware release and put it on the support downloads with the firmware itself. (Technically they need to do this for all past versions too, but I bet a lot of people would be satisfied with just the latest.)
I understand the intent behind the request, and I appreciate the flexibility that open-source solutions can provide. That said, we do need to carefully consider the security implications. In environments where these devices could potentially be used in medical or other safety-sensitive applications, allowing unrestricted modification of the code could introduce unintended risks.
It’s not really up to Digi whether to release the source, though. That decision was made as a side effect of using a kernel licensed under the GPL. If Digi had based the product on, say, a BSD-licensed kernel, that kernel source would not have to be released.