Re: Bug#239952: kernel-source-2.6.4: qla2xxx contains non-freefirmware
Adrian Bunk wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 25, 2004 at 07:15:34PM +0100, Roland Stigge wrote:
>>...
>> The solution here would be to ask upstream for disclosure of source code
>> and maybe the offer to help with build environment integration. Else,
>>...
>
> We are talking about drivers written by companies like QLogic.
>
> Asking them for disclosure of source code of their devices firmware is
> not likely to succeed, and the reason why they don't do it is not a
> missing build environment.
In that case, I see no reason for Debian to claim to its users that QLogic
binaries are free, which Debian does by putting these binaries in "main".
Distributing them in "non-free" is fine if they're legal to distribute.
If a company will not disclose the source code *and* claims that it's
licensing the binary under GPL, we should ask them how the heck we can
satisfy the GPL's requirments -- perhaps ask them for a waiver of the
source distribution requirement to be attached to the affected files -- or
alternatively if they could perhaps license the binary under (for example)
the MIT/X11 license, which doesn't require source distribution. They might
be willing to do one of those things.
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