dev-manual: warn about license compliance issues when static libraries are used

This partly addresses [YOCTO #14407]

(From yocto-docs rev: 444ca8900e8057562d2a71a77e6e6798aca3ce85)

Signed-off-by: Michael Opdenacker <michael.opdenacker@bootlin.com>
Signed-off-by: Richard Purdie <richard.purdie@linuxfoundation.org>

1 files changed, 20 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/documentation/dev-manual/common-tasks.rst b/documentation/dev-manual/common-tasks.rst
index 8ab45193b8..4683b1c045 100644
--- a/documentation/dev-manual/common-tasks.rst
+++ b/documentation/dev-manual/common-tasks.rst
@@ -11158,6 +11158,26 @@ this function, you have to follow the following steps:
 For more usage information refer to :yocto_git:`the meta-spdxscanner repository
 </meta-spdxscanner/>`.
 
+Compliance Limitations with Executables Built from Static Libraries
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+When package A is added to an image via the :term:`RDEPENDS` or :term:`RRECOMMENDS`
+mechanisms as well as explicitly included in the image recipe with
+:term:`IMAGE_INSTALL`, and depends on a static linked library recipe B
+(``DEPENDS += "B"``), package B will neither appear in the generated license
+manifest nor in the generated source tarballs.  This occurs as the
+:ref:`license <ref-classes-license>` and :ref:`archiver <ref-classes-archiver>`
+classes assume that only packages included via :term:`RDEPENDS` or :term:`RRECOMMENDS`
+end up in the image.
+
+As a result, potential obligations regarding license compliance for package B
+may not be met.
+
+The Yocto Project doesn't enable static libraries by default, in part because
+of this issue. Before a solution to this limitation is found, you need to
+keep in mind that if your root filesystem is built from static libraries,
+you will need to manually ensure that your deliveries are compliant
+with the licenses of these libraries.
 
 Copying Non Standard Licenses
 -----------------------------