Re: New summary: Binary peripheral software
J.D. Hood wrote:
> (If we are distributing it then it isn't firmware. I'll call
> it 'peripheral software' until someone suggests a better term.)
>
> There are differing views on two different questions:
> Q1: Is binary peripheral software DFSG-free or not?
> Q2: What do we do about it?
>
> 1. Binary peripheral software is DFSG-free.
> We distribute it in main.
Nobody really believes this, do they?
> 2. Binary peripheral software is DFSG non-free.
> We distribute it in non-free.
I think this isn't really common; 4 is generally the view of such people,
but they can't think of cases where the binary is really the preferred
form. :-)
> 3. Binary peripheral software is DFSG-non-free.
> We distribute it in main because users can't do without it.
Seems like I've heard this. Is this Herbert Xu's view?
Seems like it's in contradiction to the Social Contract, though. I also
think it's factually incorrect (as I've pointed out before).
> 4. Some binary peripheral software is DFSG-free, some isn't,
> depending on whether or not the binary is really the
> preferred form for modification.
> We distribute it in main or non-free as appropriate.
Seems *very* common. This also happens to be my view.
> 5. Some binary peripheral software is DFSG-free, some isn't,
> depending on whether or not the licensor designates the
> binary as the preferred form for modification.
> We distribute it in main or non-free as appropriate.
Yeah, someone was arguing for that, weren't they.
> 6. Binary peripheral software is DFSG-non-free and, if GPLed,
> not even distributable in non-free because the preferred
> form for making modifications is not provided.
> We don't distribute it at all.
Um, yeah, this is my view as well, combined with 4.
> 7. Binary peripheral software is neither DFSG-free nor -non-free
> because the Debian Free Software Guidelines don't apply to
> software running on peripherals.
> We distribute it in main.
This seems to be Marco D'Itri's view, although it also seems to contradict
the Social Contract.
>
> Keep those opinions coming!
> --
> Thomas Hood
>
>
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