> One option: Dual-license as GPLv3 (the 3 is important!) or commercial license. Hobbyists and FOSS projects will be quite happy to use a GPLv3 OS. The big commercial users - traditionally cars and other embedded uses - will not want to be legally obligated to give users the ability to install custom firmware (which GPLv3 basically requires), so they'll still pay for it. Everyone wins.

GPLv3's protection against locked systems isn't as strong as people often think it is.

In the case of cars at some point the makers are going to realize that instead of including firmware with all the features the car can support they can switch to shipping the car with a more basic firmware that just has built in support for basic car features and has an app store.

They can then put all the other features in apps that you have to buy (or subscribe to).

If that basic firmware is locked down so it can't be replaced by the user then they do indeed after avoid using GPLv3 for any code in that firmware.

The GPLv3 provisions about locking thing down do not apply to apps downloaded from an app store. They designed those previsions to stop what Tivo was doing, which was ship with a locked down operating system, and they wrote fairly narrow terms that don't cover much outside that case.

In particular, they apply when you convey object code of a GPLv3 work in, with, or specifically for use in a "User Product" and that conveyance is part of a transaction "in which the right of possession and use of the User Product is transferred to the recipient in perpetuity or for a fixed term".

I.e., sell (or rent or lease etc) hardware that includes GPLv3 code and you have to provide a way to replace that code with modified versions. Sell (or rent etc) GPLv3 programs separately from hardware and then GPLv3 is neutral on locking it down.