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Re: call for seconds: on firmware



Peter Palfrader <weasel@debian.org> writes:

> I'm hereby proposing the following general resolution:
>
> | Firmware is data such as microcode or lookup tables that is loaded into
> | hardware components in order to make the component function properly.
> | It is not code that is run on the host CPU.
> |
> | Unfortunately such firmware often is distributed as so-called blobs,
> | with no source or further documentation that lets us learn how it works
> | or interacts with the hardware in question.  By excluding such firmware
> | from Debian we exclude users that require such devices from installing
> | our operating system, or make it unnecessarily hard for them.
> |
> | Therefore the Debian project resolves that
> |  a) firmware in Debian does not have to come with source.  While we do
> |     prefer firmware that comes with source and documentation we will not
> |     require it,
> |  b) we however do require all other freedoms that the DFSG mandate from
> |     components of our operating system, and
> |  c) such firmware can and should be part of our official installation media.
>
> Looking for seconds now.

I second this GR.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org)               <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>

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