Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S261656AbVDEJol (ORCPT ); Tue, 5 Apr 2005 05:44:41 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S261628AbVDEJmH (ORCPT ); Tue, 5 Apr 2005 05:42:07 -0400 Received: from pentafluge.infradead.org ([213.146.154.40]:55262 "EHLO pentafluge.infradead.org") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S261670AbVDEJhL (ORCPT ); Tue, 5 Apr 2005 05:37:11 -0400 Subject: Re: non-free firmware in kernel modules, aggregation and unclear copyright notice. From: Arjan van de Ven To: Christoph Hellwig Cc: Ian Campbell , Sven Luther , "Theodore Ts'o" , Greg KH , Michael Poole , debian-legal@lists.debian.org, debian-kernel@lists.debian.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org In-Reply-To: <20050405093258.GA18523@lst.de> References: <20050404182753.GC31055@pegasos> <20050404191745.GB12141@kroah.com> <20050404192945.GB1829@pegasos> <20050404205527.GB8619@thunk.org> <20050404211931.GB3421@pegasos> <1112689164.3086.100.camel@icampbell-debian> <20050405083217.GA22724@pegasos> <1112690965.3086.107.camel@icampbell-debian> <20050405091144.GA18219@lst.de> <1112693287.6275.30.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org> <20050405093258.GA18523@lst.de> Content-Type: text/plain Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 11:36:58 +0200 Message-Id: <1112693819.6275.36.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Evolution 2.0.4 (2.0.4-2) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Spam-Score: 3.7 (+++) X-Spam-Report: SpamAssassin version 2.63 on pentafluge.infradead.org summary: Content analysis details: (3.7 points, 5.0 required) pts rule name description ---- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------- 1.1 RCVD_IN_DSBL RBL: Received via a relay in list.dsbl.org [] 2.5 RCVD_IN_DYNABLOCK RBL: Sent directly from dynamic IP address [80.57.133.107 listed in dnsbl.sorbs.net] 0.1 RCVD_IN_SORBS RBL: SORBS: sender is listed in SORBS [80.57.133.107 listed in dnsbl.sorbs.net] X-SRS-Rewrite: SMTP reverse-path rewritten from by pentafluge.infradead.org See http://www.infradead.org/rpr.html Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1079 Lines: 26 > > Second step is to make the built-in firmware a > > config option and then later on when the infrastructure matures for > > firmware loading/providing firmware it can be removed from the driver > > entirely. > > I think the infrasturcture is quite mature. We have a lot of drivers > that require it to function. what seems to be currently missing is distro level support for using firmware for modules needed for booting (and tg3 falls sort of under that via nfsroot) and widespread easy availability of firmware in distros and for users. Both are a bit of a chick-and-egg thing, and this is what a transition period with a few key drivers in dual-mode would hopefully resolve. One of the options is to even ship the firmware in the kernel tarbal but from a separate directory with a clear license clarification text in it. - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/