Bug#390994: linux-2.6: e100 microcode: distributable with BSD license, but license not in Linux source
Package: linux-2.6
Severity: serious
Justification: copyright
OK. So the e100 microcode situation isn't as bad as we expected -- thanks entirely
to OpenBSD.
I'm opening this bug to track this issue because I expect it will be resolved relatively
quickly, and because the 'big bug' is getting to be way too much.
There are three different bundles of microcode:
/* Micro code for 8086:1229 Rev 8 */
...
#define D101M_B_RCVBUNDLE_UCODE \
This is present in OpenBSD, in
http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/~checkout~/src/sys/dev/microcode/fxp/rcvbundl.h?rev=1.2&content-type=text/plain
under a 3-clause BSD license. Under the same name.
/* Micro code for 8086:1229 Rev 9 */
...
#define D101S_RCVBUNDLE_UCODE \
This is present in OpenBSD, in
http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/~checkout~/src/sys/dev/microcode/fxp/rcvbundl.h?rev=1.2&content-type=text/plain
under a 3-clause BSD license. Under the same name.
/* Micro code for the 8086:1229 Rev F/10 */
...
#define D102_E_RCVBUNDLE_UCODE \
This is present in OpenBSD, in
http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/~checkout~/src/sys/dev/microcode/fxp/rcvbundl.h?rev=1.2&content-type=text/plain
under a 3-clause BSD license. Under the same name.
It's worth noting that OpenBSD has substantial additional downloadable microcode in that
file.
The copyright problem will be fixed as soon as the proper copyright notice and license
from OpenBSD's copy is added to Debian's copy. Simple and excellent. :-) Thanks
OpenBSD!
However, the microcode is still non-free (lack of source). Conversion to userland
firmware loading should be done (and I might even get around to it myself). If
this is done, I strongly advise that the *same format* and *same filenames* be used
as in OpenBSD, so that the firmware files are interchangable; no point in deliberate
incompatibility.
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