Bug#751339: RFP: ath9k-htc-firmware -- free firmware for Atheros AR7010/AR9271 wireless adapters
Package: wnpp
Severity: wishlist
* Package name : ath9k-htc-firmware
Version : 1.3.2
Upstream Author : Qualcomm Atheros
* URL : http://jxself.org/ath9k-htc/
* License : ClearBSD
Programming Lang: C, assembly
Description : free firmware for Atheros AR7010/AR9271 wireless adapters
ath9k-ftc-firmware provides a free implementation of firmware for two
available wireless chipsets.
the GNU project has endorsed this hardware as "respects your freedom"
due to the freeness of the licensing:
https://www.fsf.org/news/tehnoetic-wireless-usb-adapter-now-fsf-certified-to-respect-your-freedom
It would be great to ship these firmware modules in debian now that we
have the source. If we can make it easier for people to improve them,
that would be great.
Unfortunately, the build process appears to be a little bit involved:
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/how-install-ath9k-htc-firmware-atheros-communications-inc-ar9271
while it's just "make toolchain && make firmware", the "make
toolchain" step fetches several free software libraries and packages
(and specific versions of those packages: libgmp 5.0.5, libmpfr 3.1.1,
libmpc 1.0.1, binutils 2.23.1, and gcc 4.7.2), patches a few of them
(gcc and binutils in particular), and then uses the fetched/patched
software to build the firmware statically.
This presents some packaging challenges because it doesn't model the
usual debian workflow. Maybe someone with more experience packaging
firmware can pick this up so that we can fully-support this hardware
in debian?
--dkg
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