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Re: Preparing linux-2.6 2.6.18-1



Steve Langasek wrote:

> If it is the consensus of the project that sourceless firmware doesn't
> belong in main, this is a conscious regression in DFSG-compliance relative
> to sarge.  I don't think that's acceptable.  We obviously do have the
> means to remove this particular subset of non-free firmware from main
> (technically imperfect though it may be), and of the firmware that was
> removed for sarge the only one that was important enough to get me glared
> at personally was qla2xxx -- so what are these other already-removed
> firmwares that are so
> important to have re-added now?  (I did ask for a list, which no one has
> provided yet; I can't find the pruning script in the kernel team's svn
> repo, or I would look it up myself.)

Here you go, Steve.

drivers/media/video/dabfirmware.h
drivers/net/acenic_firmware.h
drivers/net/dgrs_firmware.c
drivers/net/tokenring/smctr_firmware.h
drivers/usb/misc/emi62_fw_m.h
drivers/usb/misc/emi62_fw_s.h

The above are all undistributable: smctr_firmware.h under a use-only 
license, the others because they are "GPL" without source or have no
license at all.

drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_mpr_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa18x_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa19_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa19qi_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa19qw_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa19w_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa28_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa28xa_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa28xb_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa28x_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa49w_fw.h
drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_usa49wlc_fw.h

These are all under a unique and annoying license:
"redistributable as part of a Linux or other Open Source operating system
kernel"

Additional regressions relative to sarge:
* tg3 was readded with the upstream firmware at some point after
the release of sarge, despite the existing firmware loading patches, 
and is already in the 2.6.17 packages
* The bnx2 driver was introduced upstream with sourceless, but 
distributable, firmware.
* e100 and starfire acquired sourceless, undistributable firmware upstream 
between the sarge release and now (God only knows why)
* New drivers were introduced upstream between the sarge release and now 
with the following sourceless, undistributable firmware: 
- drivers/net/cassini.h
- drivers/scsi/ql1040_fw.h
- drivers/usb/serial/ti_fw_3410.h
- drivers/usb/serial/ti_fw_5052.h

-- 
Nathanael Nerode  <neroden@fastmail.fm>

Bush admitted to violating FISA and said he was proud of it.
So why isn't he in prison yet?...



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