Re: Proposal: The DFSG do not require source code for data, including firmware
On Tue, Aug 29, 2006 at 11:00:44PM +1000, Hamish Moffatt wrote:
> To those who consider ROM-less hardware cheap and nasty I suggest the
> opposite is true. I design hardware (FPGAs) professionally for expensive
> communications equipment. We avoid ROMs as much as possible, because
> they are difficult to upgrade reliably and they are a waste of money.
>
> We deliberately load our FPGAs with different functionality at different
> times and that isn't possible from ROM. The emi62.c sound driver seems
> to do something similar - it loads different firmware for midi and spdif
> modes!
Very interesting.
Do you consider FPGA config files as programs, or would you say that the
normal DFSG requirement for source applies to those also in order to be
considered fit for debian/main ?
I am interested in your profesional opinion on this, since you clearly seem to
either be, or in close contact to someone who is, an upstream author of such
firmwares.
Friendly,
Sven Luther
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