Tesla releases some source code under GPL license

Tesla has put some of the source code of its automotive software online. In doing so, it has taken a first step towards complying with the GPL license to use parts of Linux. Tesla does not fully comply with the terms of the license.

The Software Freedom Conservancy says it has been working with Tesla for five years to make the code public, a process that has been slow due to the involvement of multiple companies. Tesla has to disclose some of the code because its cars use code from the Linux kernel and Busybox. Under the conditions of use of that software, manufacturers must make their own adaptations available to it.

The code is now on Tesla’s GitHub page. These are Linux and BuildRoot. Tesla does not make other parts of the code, including its own applications, public. Nor is it necessary under the GNU GPL license.

Tesla has emailed people who have expressed interest in viewing the code in the past, Elektrek reports. Revealing the source code can help security researchers find vulnerabilities in Tesla’s software, which then patch makes the software more secure.