Re: LCC and blobs

[Michael Poole <mdpoole@troilus.org>]

Thomas Bushnell BSG writes:

> Matthew Garrett <mgarrett@chiark.greenend.org.uk> writes:
> 
> > > Think of it this way.  For the card with the built-in firmware, the
> > > driver does not depend on any additional packages or software
> > > distribution to work.  By contrast, for the card with the separate
> > > firmware, the driver *does* depend on that additional package to work.
> > 
> > The dependency still exists - it just isn't expressed within the terms
> > of our package management system. I am entirely happy to describe this
> > distinction as arbitrary.
> 
> And yet, in this case the non-freeness of the software isn't hurting
> the user.  The point isn't whether the firmware "exists", the point is
> whether the user is being prevented from modifying it by licensing or
> non-source-distribution restrictions.

When the firmware is burned into the device, the user is prevented
from modifying it in a rather more drastic and permanent fashion than
when the restrictions are a matter of missing code or permissions.

Michael Poole