In <[🔎] 4B83A91B.8040703@hardwarefreak.com>, Stan Hoeppner wrote: >Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. put forth on 2/22/2010 1:01 PM: >> So, non-free firmware is normally moved to non-free instead of being >> dropped from Debian entirely for many years now. Drivers that were >> previously dropped because of non-free firmware might be added back in, if >> they can be modified to use request_firmware(). Filing a bug might be >> appropriate here. > >So how do you make this jibe with the case of the RTL 8168/9 in Squeeze >2.6.32, where the driver exists and loads, yet can't find the firmware blob, >then fails? Have you installed the appropriate -firmware package from non-free? Since it is not DFSG-free, that's where it would be. It wouldn't be in the linux- kernel-image package in main. >>From what you're saying, it should have still been distributed somewhere >into the filesystem and findable by the kernel, so as to not brick the >users' ethernet, no? If they installed the correct package. Yes. It is not distributed as part of the linux-kernel-image package in main. It should have been broken out into its own package (or into a package with similar firmware) and put into non- free. I can't find the firmware package for that piece of hardware. A bug report may be appropriate. I could not find one that discussed a DFSG violation w.r.t. the firmware for these devices. A patch to the kernel dsc to generate the new -firmware package, and (if needed) convert the module to using request_firmware() would certainly be appreciated. After installing the linux-patch-debian-2.6.32 package, these files might clarify the situation: /usr/src/kernel-patches/all/2.6.32/debian/debian/dfsg/r8169-rtl8168d-1-2- disable.patch.bz2 /usr/src/kernel-patches/all/2.6.32/debian/features/all/r8169-init-phy-return- error.patch.bz2 /usr/src/kernel-patches/all/2.6.32/debian/features/all/r8169-rtl8168d-1-2- request_firmware-2.patch.bz2 /usr/src/kernel-patches/all/2.6.32/debian/features/all/r8169-rtl8168d-1-2- request_firmware.patch.bz2 >Well, it didn't happen. The firmware blob was completely ripped out by the >Debian kernel team and or other devs and now bricks RTL 8168/9 interfaces. While it could happen in the future, there's no system in place (AFAIK) for the system to recommend certain packages based on the user's hardware profile. It is very easy to be missing the firmware because you a missing a package. -- Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. ,= ,-_-. =. bss@iguanasuicide.net ((_/)o o(\_)) ICQ: 514984 YM/AIM: DaTwinkDaddy `-'(. .)`-' http://iguanasuicide.net/ \_/
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