Bug#415904: [Linux, ti_usb-serial] Removing (obsolete) firmware blobs, making driver usable (without udev scripts)

[Oleg Verych <olecom@flower.upol.cz>]

Package: linux-source-2.6.18
Version: 2.6.18.dfsg.1-11
Severity: important
Tags: patch

1) In current form, i.e. without udev scripts, driver is unusable.

2) Two binary firmware blobs for different devices are staticaly included
   in the driver. While they are written to be GPL, Windows(R) driver
   package for such devices includes separate fimware files, thus providing
   updated ones and making blobs useless. Userspace helper was adopted to
   load that files. Filenames were taken from standard TI ez430 USB device
   driver package, where usb-serial is an interface.

3) To make driver usable usb_driver_set_configuration() crutch from
   2.6.19 was taken, it applies without conflicts on usb sources. This
   one is used to setup device and driver without need of any hotplug
   scripts.

4) Initial version was made in hurry in December, but updated patch was
   sent and conformed by upsteam author to work.

5) The upstream author lastly updated driver in 2.6.11. Some work was made
   to 2.6.13, but it wasn't posted to mainline. Now author wants to update
   his patch set, include some more binary blobs in the driver, or use
   userspace helper. Anything from my patch set he may include, but i asked
   him to provide his update first, and then i will post my.

Result: ~24k of RAM is saved, works without additional udev scripts, uses
        default (udev) userspace firmware load helper.

Cons: User must symlink or copy firmware files from standard driver
      package to '/lib/firmware/'.

Patches were posted in debian-kernel and can be downloaded via Gmane
news gate if lost. Head of patch set thread is:

Message-ID: <[🔎] 20070223082430.591244000@deen.upol.cz.local>
Archived-At: <http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.linux.debian.devel.kernel/27125>

It would be nice to have this woring in Etch.

Thanks.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 4.0
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.18-4-amd64
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