Return-path: Received: from mail-ww0-f44.google.com ([74.125.82.44]:39087 "EHLO mail-ww0-f44.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1753589Ab1BRWVh (ORCPT ); Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:21:37 -0500 Received: by wwa36 with SMTP id 36so4288581wwa.1 for ; Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:21:35 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <4D5EF0E9.4050908@lwfinger.net> Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:21:29 -0600 From: Larry Finger MIME-Version: 1.0 To: =?UTF-8?B?UmFmYcWCIE1pxYJlY2tp?= CC: Dan Williams , Henry Ptasinski , Brett Rudley , Nohee Ko , Greg Kroah-Hartman , "linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org" , b43-dev Subject: Re: Request for free-distributable Broadcom's (G|LP)-PHY firmware References: <4CBF640C.4080405@broadcom.com> <1287674517.2383.7.camel@dcbw.foobar.com> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On 02/18/2011 03:24 PM, Rafał Miłecki wrote: > W dniu 21 października 2010 17:21 użytkownik Dan Williams > napisał: >> On Thu, 2010-10-21 at 00:11 +0200, Rafał Miłecki wrote: >>> W dniu 20 października 2010 23:50 użytkownik Henry Ptasinski >>> napisał: >>>> Sorry for the delay in responding. We are exploring what is possible but >>>> for the moment the answer is no. At present our focus is on providing the >>>> best open source solution we can for 4313, 43224, 43225, 4329 and future >>>> chips sets. >>> >>> Thanks for answer. >>> >>> Please, can you make totally sure person responsible for this gets it >>> totally right? I believe it's very important. >>> >>> The easiest step for you, which we still would appreciate is really >>> trivial one. It's *not* about writing any code, *not* about releasing >>> anything new. It's just about releasing in under friendly license. >>> This firmware is already available, we have access to it, we use it. >>> The problem is that distributions can not ship it. >>> >>> If you let me use simplification: all we need as first nice step is >>> Broadcom to say: "You can use it". >> >> That's not enough to allow Fedora to ship it. We'd need a clear license >> from Broadcom (ex the existing Intel or Marvell firmware licenses) >> before Fedora could feel comfortable about shipping it legally in all >> jurisdictions. >> >> http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/dwmw2/linux-firmware.git;a=blob;f=LICENCE.mwl8k;h=3224e1bbfba8ccd1d980f57eb88378f20bb2d146;hb=HEAD >> http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/dwmw2/linux-firmware.git;a=blob;f=LICENCE.libertas;h=1fd8766c26a170b50605455ae6f54b607baa12cf;hb=HEAD >> >> There's an existing Broadcom license in linux-firmware.git, and it *may* >> be OK, but it's really, really long and given that other major companies >> adopted the "shorter is better" approach, it's hard to believe that all >> the existing Broadcom license text is actually needed. > > Few months later, is there any progress? Can we expect: > > 1) Easier licensing of currently provided firmware (see Fedore case) > 2) Firmware for LP-PHY devices > ? I think we can forget this whole business. It seems that Broadcom is content with their business model, even though knowledgeable Linux users are avoiding their products like the plague. Larry