Re: b43 firmware ABI change

[Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>]

On Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 09:40:08AM +0100, Fabrizio Regalli wrote:
> Hi Ben,
> 
> kernel 3.2.x is arrived in unstable and it's time to discuss our open
> point about b43-fwcutter package.

Sorry for the delay...
 
[...]
> Below is a summary of list of changes that I would like to introduce
> with the new version of the package b43-fwcutter package:
> 
> ===
> 
>   - The majority of firmware-b43-installer's postinst is moved to a script
>     (firmware-b43-installer) installed to /usr/bin.
> 
>     * root is required to execute the firmware-b43-installer script.
> 
>   - Hooks are installed to /etc/kernel/post{inst,rm}.d, which call the above
>     script with an argument (the kernel version) during kernel image package
>     installation and removal.

OK.  Don't forget that kernel hooks may run under debconf, so you
may need to redirect stdout to stderr.

>   - A kernel-specific directory is created at /lib/firmware if it does not
>     exist.  For example, /lib/firmware/3.2.0-1-686-pae is created when
>     configuring linux-image-3.2.0-1-686-pae (the b43 subdirectory is created
>     at this location during firmware extraction by the b43-fwcutter utility).

So the extraction process is re-done for each installed kernel
version?  The source (Windows driver?) is required to be kept
around?

>   - broadcom-wl 5.100.138 (firmware 666.2) is acquired and extracted for use
>     with Linux 3.2 and later, broadcom-wl 5.10.56.27.3 (firmware 508.1084)
>     is used for Linux 3.1 and earlier.
> 
>     * Providing firmware 666.2 allows BCM4331 based devices to
>       be supported, as b43 received an initial implementation at Linux 3.2
>       (B43_PHY_HT was enabled at linux-2.6 3.2~rc4-1~experimental.1).
> 
>   - If the firmware-b43-installer script is not supplied with a kernel
>     version argument (e.g. manual invocation by superuser), `$uname -r` is
>     used.
>
>   - chroot installs are still supported and are assumed to require the
>     latest firmware; a message regarding use of Linux 3.2 for firmware 598
>     and up is displayed, firmware is installed to /lib/firmware without a
>     kernel version subdirectory.
[...]

This all sounds sensible.

Ben.

-- 
Ben Hutchings
We get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking.
                                                              - Albert Camus