firmware or software? was Re: ITP plex86, if it complies to DFSG
On Mon, 11 Dec 2000, Hamish Moffatt wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 11, 2000 at 01:33:26AM +0100, Goswin Brederlow wrote:
> > AFAIK the bios is written for some realy old vga graphics card and the
> > bochs author got permission to use it while emulating that graphics
> > card. Its not written or modfied for bochs or plex but rather the
> > other way around.
> >
> > Also the bios is running in bochs on its virtual maschine or under
> > plex on the real cpu. So for bochs ist firmware and for plex its a
> > program.
>
> No, I think it's the other way around. Bochs is emulating it, so it's
> a program. We require emulators to have free(DFSG) ROMs, else they don't
> get in main. Don't ask me why x48 is in main.
>
> Even for plex you are emulating it, even if you are not emulating
> the host CPU.
So, if we take the Creative DXr2 DVD decoder board, for a working example:
The player, utilities, and kernel driver are released under the GPL
version 2. Unfortunately, to make the board actually work, we have to
upload a file using the supplied tool to the board. is this file firmware
or software?
What if I write a program that emulates the DXr2 board on my host CPU? Is
the upload file firmware or software now? And if it is different than when
it gets uploaded to the board, why?
The status of the upload file ('DVD12.UX' is the version I snagged) as
redistributable or not is a seperate question. IF this file is freely
redistributable, could it be placed with the DXr2 software and put into
Debian?
; I'm not fully understanding here.
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