Bug#494308: binary firmware in drivers/net/e100.c

[Robert Millan <rmh@aybabtu.com>]

On Fri, Aug 08, 2008 at 04:03:32PM +0200, Frederik Schueler wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I already waited for this.
> 
> On Fri, Aug 08, 2008 at 12:21:45PM +0000, Robert Millan wrote:
> > drivers/net/e100.c (licensed under GPLv2) contains three chunks of binary
> > firmware, such as:
> [...]
> 
> 
> You don't expect us to remove the e100 driver, do you? 

Hi Frederik,

My expectation, in general, is that we can find a solution that fits within
the regulations of the project, and at the same time is as much satisfactory
as possible to all the parties involved, including you, me, and all of our
users.

More specifically about the e100 driver, the problem seems to be only with
those three blobs, not with the driver as a whole.  I don't expect that
support is dropped for the e100 driver, not even for the blobs;  I only
expect that the blobs aren't shipped in the 'main' pool.  There are multiple
ways to archieve this, including (in no particular order):

  - Move the whole driver to non-free.

  - Move the blobs to non-free and have the driver load them.

  - Reverse engineer the blobs.

I don't personally favour the first option, because it would move support
for ICH devices for which (AFAICT) the blobs aren't necessary.  Because of
this I'm considering that I could help with the second one, although I'd
have to see the amount of work involved before I can make any promises
(and I don't have e100 hardware to test the results).

-- 
Robert Millan

  The DRM opt-in fallacy: "Your data belongs to us. We will decide when (and
  how) you may access your data; but nobody's threatening your freedom: we
  still allow you to remove your data and not access it at all."