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From: Marcel Holtmann <marcel@holtmann.org>
To: BlueZ users <bluez-users@lists.sourceforge.net>
Subject: Re: [Bluez-users] why does one need bluez-firmware ?
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:43:49 +0100	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <1166521429.29972.10.camel@violet> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <08C55293-7564-45BD-B18C-571EBC240FEC@gothpunk.com>

Hi Steve,

> >>> I read on some web pages that one need bluez-firmware to be able to
> >>> operate the BroadCom 203x series bluetooth dongle correctly on a 2.4
> >>> kernel. So I am wondering what is the purpose of bluez-firmware? And
> >>> how does it work?
> >>
> >> that is a misunderstanding. For the 2.6 kernel you use a kernel  
> >> module
> >> to load the firmware. For 2.4 an extra USB application was needed.  
> >> Both
> >> however need the firmware files.
> >
> > And what is the purpose of bluez-firmware? How does it work?
> 
> The USB dongles themselves are stupid and don't have operational  
> firmware in them.

most of them actually do have the firmware in flash or RAM. Only a few
need a firmware download before they can be used.

> It's a cost-saving measure. By using uploadable firmware, the  
> manufacturer (Dlink, Linksys, whoever)
> doesn't have to make a Windows version and a Mac version and a Linux  
> version.
> They just make one type of device and then ship the appropriate  
> firmware blob on the drivers CD.

This is a generalization from the WiFi world and it is simply not true.
Only a minor number of devices need a firmware download.

> So the real reason you need the BlueZ firmware is that the driver has  
> to upload the right firmware(in this case, for Linux) into the
> bluetooth module itself, otherwise it won't work.

Just to make it clear. You are talking about a firmware download. You
download firmware to the device. An upload would mean to extract the
firmware from the device.

Regards

Marcel



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  reply	other threads:[~2006-12-19  9:43 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 6+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
     [not found] <mailman.247983.1166465173.8777.bluez-users@lists.sourceforge.net>
2006-12-18 19:35 ` [Bluez-users] why does one need bluez-firmware ? Steve " 'dillo " Okay (Roadknight Labs)
2006-12-19  9:43   ` Marcel Holtmann [this message]
2006-12-17  2:20 amateur
2006-12-17 12:15 ` Marcel Holtmann
2006-12-18 10:47   ` amateur
2006-12-18 11:55     ` Marcel Holtmann

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