kernel26-firmware

Zerathidune · 2009-07-04 01:58:07

Hi All,

as it currently stands, there is a package in core called kernel26-frimware which contains all of the firmware included in the linux kernel which resides in /lib/firmware. My understanding is that the reason for the separate package is to avoid file conflicts when multiple kernel packages are installed.

Does anyone know if this package contains all of the nonfree blobs included in the linux kernel, or if there are others included in the kernel package itself, which reside elsewhere?

if all of the nonfree blobs do reside in the kernel26-firmware package, I'd like to see kernel26 not depend on this package, since a) it's only needed for a handful of drivers, and b) it's nonfree, and while I have no objection to nonfree software being in the repos for people who want/need it, I feel like it shouldn't be a requirement for the system. (I could of course make my own kernel package, but that seems like a lot more effort than necessary when all I want to do is take out stuff that's already in a separate package. Also, I realize the bug tracker is probably a better place for this sort of request, but I wanted to make sure I had things straight first.)

if there are others in the kernel26 package itself, I'd be curious to know what they are. It might be worth it to me in this case to make a kernel26-free package which did not contain them.

arkham · 2009-07-04 02:28:52

pacman -Ql kernel26-firmware

Zerathidune · 2009-07-04 02:41:41

That doesn't really answer my question; I know how to get a list of files owned by a package, but listing the contents of kernel26-firmware doesn't tell me if there is other firmware in another package, and listing the contents of the kernel26 package doesn't tell me if any of those files came without source code. Thanks anyways. I'll keep investigating on my own. I would love to hear from anyone who knows the answer to this.

arkham · 2009-07-04 03:28:58

Zerathidune wrote:

That doesn't really answer my question; I know how to get a list of files owned by a package, but listing the contents of kernel26-firmware doesn't tell me if there is other firmware in another package, and listing the contents of the kernel26 package doesn't tell me if any of those files came without source code. Thanks anyways. I'll keep investigating on my own. I would love to hear from anyone who knows the answer to this.

All the firmware included in the vanilla kernel that should be deployed to /lib/firmware is included in the kernel26-firmware package.

Arch's general approach is to keep the packages "as vanilla as possible" and to patch/edit only when absolutely necessary.

Feel free to open a bug report though

Allan · 2009-07-04 03:30:16

> pacman -Qi kernel26-firmware
Name           : kernel26-firmware
Version        : 2.6.30-1
URL            : http://www.kernel.org
Licenses       : GPL2

Does the licence field cover your concerns

Zerathidune · 2009-07-04 09:32:52

Allan wrote:

> pacman -Qi kernel26-firmware
Name           : kernel26-firmware
Version        : 2.6.30-1
URL            : http://www.kernel.org
Licenses       : GPL2

Does the licence field cover your concerns

No, because it isn't accurate. if you look at firmware/3com/3C359.bin.ihex in the kernel source tree:

/*
 * The firmware this driver downloads into the tokenring card is a
 * separate program and is not GPL'd source code, even though the Linux
 * side driver and the routine that loads this data into the card are.
 *
 * This firmware is licensed to you strictly for use in conjunction
 * with the use of 3Com 3C359 TokenRing adapters. There is no
 * waranty expressed or implied about its fitness for any purpose.
 */

/* 3c359_microcode.mac: 3Com 3C359 Tokenring microcode.
 *
 * Notes:
 *  - Loaded from xl_init upon adapter initialization.
 *
 * Available from 3Com as part of their standard 3C359 driver.
 */

Furthermore the "source" in those files looks like this:

...

:10ACB0000020174C03011D1933239B01EB189D6ADB                                                    
:10ACC000BD4205D11D6B954202D1DB6A8B421CD07F                                                    
:10ACD00001300B28EED3002003011D1933239B0103                                                    
:10ACE000EB189B6A002B09D103011C1933239B012C                                                    
:10ACF000E3181A63D9625A639F6202E001300B289D                                                    
:10AD0000EAD30B2801D10020C043B0BC704700003B                                                    
:10AD1000680E008090B4011C00220120164F01E053
:10AD2000002A07D10301DC1933239B01E3189B6937
:10AD30008B4211D10201D21933239B01D218936A9D
:10AD4000C0469361D36AC046D361136BC046136299
:10AD5000536BC0465362012201300B28E0D3074BEE
:10AD6000002A02D19A688A4203D10021996090BCDE
:10AD700070470020C043FAE7680E0080E81B00809F
:10AD80000B2817DA0C4901235B068A691343012259
:10AD900012058B6113610001401833239B01C01819
:10ADA000036BC0464363530188699843886110610F
:10ADB000012070470020FCE7680E008090B4084A2C

...

This doesn't look very much like source code to me. What I'm not sure of is whether *ALL* such binary-only, non-free firmware resides in the firmware/ tree, and gets installed to /lib/firmware. I suspect there may be similar blobs placed inline in certain drivers, in which case, removing the kernel26-firmware package would not remove all the non-free bits, as some would be part of the kernel26 package.

Mr.Elendig · 2009-07-04 10:49:51

They do claim that it's "source code", and that it's free......... (imo, it's just stupid. Linus should never have allowed it, but sadly he happily does.)

If you want a completely free kernel, then look at linux-libre.
http://www.fsfla.org/svnwiki/selibre/linux-libre/
http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=26128 (you might want to adapt the kernel26 PKGBUILD instead of using this, but it's up to you )

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2009-07-04 10:52:03)

arkham · 2009-07-04 11:21:47

Zerathidune wrote:

I suspect there may be similar blobs placed inline in certain drivers, in which case, removing the kernel26-firmware package would not remove all the non-free bits, as some would be part of the kernel26 package.

http://lwn.net/Articles/284932/

Arch Linux

#1 2009-07-04 01:58:07

kernel26-firmware

#2 2009-07-04 02:28:52

Re: kernel26-firmware

#3 2009-07-04 02:41:41

Re: kernel26-firmware

#4 2009-07-04 03:28:58

Re: kernel26-firmware

#5 2009-07-04 03:30:16

Re: kernel26-firmware

#6 2009-07-04 09:32:52

Re: kernel26-firmware

#7 2009-07-04 10:49:51

Re: kernel26-firmware

#8 2009-07-04 11:21:47

Re: kernel26-firmware

Board footer