Re: Etch timeline is unrealistic because non-free firmware is NOT being dealt with

[Thiemo Seufer <ths@networkno.de>]

Sven Luther wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 07, 2006 at 04:53:51PM +0200, Marco d'Itri wrote:
> > On Aug 07, Goswin von Brederlow <brederlo@informatik.uni-tuebingen.de> wrote:
> > 
> > > > No, because those are not linked together with the GPLed code, but are a mere
> > > > aggregation of works inside the same media, i.e. the binary file. Those
> > > > non-free firmware will never run inside the same memory space as the kernel,
> > > > and are offloaded to a peripheral processor, and the communication media
> > > > between the kernel and this peripheral processor running said firmware is
> > > > clearly defined, there is no doubt that those non-free firmware do not break
> > > > the kernel GPL.
> > 
> > > They are linked in, they have symbols, the code directly references
> > > their address. Can you name one tool that will easily remove such
> > No. They are a char array, it's data copied where the hardware wants it.
> > It's not code called by other functions.
> 
> Yeah, exact, its mips or arm machine code, uploaded to the embedded core in
> the chip used for the peripheral in question.

Often it isn't, unless you want to call the content of a configuration
register bank "code".


Thiemo