Re: firmware or software? was Re: ITP plex86, if it complies to DFSG
On Mon, Dec 11, 2000 at 09:43:08PM -0800, ferret@phonewave.net wrote:
> So this SAME file of executable code is either firmware or software,
> depending on what happens to be executing it?
> This is the point where I get confused.
I'm not so convinced myself any more!
> ship with the source to that firmware. Qlogic ISP is one specific example.
> The file is drivers/scsi/qlogicfc_asm.c
There's some sourceless firmware in the driver for the YAM modem
in the amateur radio code. It's actually a bitstream for an FPGA,
rather than a ROM containing executable code, but it's functionally
close enough to be treated the same.
I think we'll have to conclude that ROM images, firmware or emulated,
are OK, as long as they are freely distributed. That clause still
puts most of the emulators in contrib, and there's a couple
in main which shouldn't be. Do you agree? If so I'll file bug reports.
Hamish
--
Hamish Moffatt VK3SB <hamish@debian.org> <hamish@cloud.net.au>
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