Re: Bug#258082: missing advansys module
On Sat, Aug 28, 2004 at 11:32:46PM -0700, Joshua Kwan wrote:
> Nathanael Nerode wrote:
> >* Since I actually have an advansys card to test on, I should be able to
> >convert this driver to userland firmware loading without the annoyances of
> >a remote testing cycle.
>
> But how do you expect people to install Sarge on systems where the only
> mass storage controller is an advansys card? Certainly, telling people
> to download a bunch of firmware udebs first before they can install, or
> making them do so within the installer, is a huge setback in installer
> userfriendliness.
.udeb loading from floppies or net is possible right now, altough less than
convenient.
> (So first of all, please let me implore you to let this slide for Sarge,
> at the very least. It's way too late in the game to start molesting SCSI
> low level drivers, and to have to come up with initrd-tools and
> debian-installer infrastructure to accomodate lots of firmware loads at
> boot time and pre-installation. _No way_.)
>
> Initially the big brouhaha was with tg3. It worked fine without the
> firmware for 99% of devices, so that really was no matter to me.
>
> Then we removed acenic support as well as some firmware for qlogic
> cards, USB keyspan driver, what have you... Well, I figured few people
> used it, so _to me_ it was but a small issue.
>
> But eventually, if you keep up this crusade, installing Debian will
> involve having megabytes of firmware files at hand. Chances are that NIC
> drivers will get de-blobbed at some point, and will need firmware to
> work. Ooops. There goes the idea of downloading the firmware from the
> Internet at install time.
BTW, what is the thing that is reproached to those drivers ? That we don't
have source to those firmware blobs ? Or that we don't have the right to
modify them ?
What is the prefered form for upstream to provide those firmware thingies ?
And do they really have source for that ?
Friendly,
Sven Luther
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