Re: non-free firmware in kernel modules, aggregation and unclear copyright notice.

Josselin Mouette
2005-04-05T18:40:46Z

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Le mardi 05 avril 2005 à 14:17 -0400, Richard B. Johnson a écrit :
> > You are completely missing the point. I don't care whether the firmwares
> > should be free, or whether they could be free. The fact is they are not
> > free, and Debian doesn't distribute non-free software in the "main"
> > archive. The fact is also that mixing them with a GPLed software gives
> > an result you can't redistribute - although it seems many people
> > disagree with that assertion now.
>
> As previously explained, if I buy a screen-card I get a driver
> that will allow it to run under Windows. If I extract the stuff
> from that driver that allows me to run it under Linux, that
> constitutes fair use. Otherwise there are criminal issues like
> restraint-of-trade and similar problems for the manufacturer.
> That firmware is free for use on/in the device you purchased.

You are mixing free beer and free speech. Of course I'm free to use it
in the device I purchased, but it is nevertheless unsuitable for the
Debian main archive, where there is only free software.

> > Finally, you shouldn't forget that, technically speaking, using hotplug
> > for uploading the firmware is much more flexible and elegant than
> > including it in the kernel. Upgrading the firmware and the module should
> > be two independent operations. People who are advocating the current
> > situation are refusing technical improvements just because they are
> > brought by people they find convenient to call "zealots".
>
> Throwing in a bit of truth to a pile of bullshit still leaves
> the bullshit. It isn't relevant to the issue whether or not
> upgrading firmware as a separate function from loading a module
> is "good" or "bad".

Of course it is. If the proposed solution is technically better and
pleases the so-called zealots, why are you discussing it at all?
--
.''`. Josselin Mouette /\./\
: :' : josselin.mouette@ens-lyon.org
`. `' joss@debian.org
`- Debian GNU/Linux -- The power of freedom

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