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Re: non-free firmware: driver in main or contrib?



On Sun, Oct 10, 2004 at 11:49:45PM +0100, Matthew Garrett wrote:
> Nathanael Nerode <neroden@twcny.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> > If the driver does not provide any significant functionality without the
> > firmware, it belongs in contrib.
> > 
> > If there are some cards which the driver drives which work without the
> > firmware, it can go in main.
> 
> Nowadays very few drivers will work without the presence of non-free
> software. This may be located in flash, or it may be loaded from the
> operating system. Why should a hardware implementation detail affect
> whether or not we include the drivers on a Debian CD?

This argument applies equally well to everything that is not firmware
and that is in contrib, unless you feel like answering your own
question and demonstrating why a hardware implementation detail should
affect this. Since it would then indicate that contrib shouldn't
exist, it's probably wrong. Figuring out why is left as an exercise
for the reader.

-- 
  .''`.  ** Debian GNU/Linux ** | Andrew Suffield
 : :' :  http://www.debian.org/ |
 `. `'                          |
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