Raul Miller wrote:
Fundamentally, the DFSG is aimed at making sure that we can provide the software that we can support. Restrictions that leave us writing an opaque blob of bits which drives an unknown API very much put us into a context where we can't know that we're doing the right thing.
The API is known, otherwise there would be no Linux driver. The fact that we uploaded the firmware does not excuse the device from respecting its API. Nor is it our task to write the firmware, Debian is a distribution for general-purpose computers, if you want to have a distribution for firmware you are free to do so. Debian should consider hardware as things that you have to talk to with a certain protocol.
[hardware with build in flash that lost the flash]
However, unlike non-flash devices that need the firmware uploaded every time, the driver is still useful without it.Yes.
It is useful to re-upload the flash. Nothing else. So what is the difference between this use and the driver that has to load it every time?
Groetjes, Peter