Re: Should ipw2100-source be in contrib?
Josh Triplett wrote:
> Guido Trotter wrote:
>> The code for ipw2100 is free software. To load the driver you'll need a
>> firmware which is non-free and subject to an EULA (for details see
>> http://ipw2100.sourceforge.net/firmware.php?fid=2). Debian cannot thus
>> distribute this thing (the firmware), neither in main nor in non-free.
>>
>> Now the point is: the source code itself doesn't need the firmware to
>> be built, but the resulting modules are completely useless without it.
>>
>> So should this package go in contrib, or is it allowed to stay in main?
>
> If the modules without the firmware are usable for any hardware (such as
> a version of the hardware that has the firmware permanently stored in
> it), the modules can stay in main, since at least some users can use it
> without installing non-free software. If the modules cannot operate any
> piece of hardware without the non-free firmware, the modules must go in
> contrib.
Um, "what he said", just so you know it's not just his opinion.
I think there's consensus on this; it's basically what 'contrib' was
invented for.
--
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
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