mythbuntu-bugs team mailing list archive

[David Ayers <ayers@xxxxxxxx>]

Hello Era,

AFAIU Unity https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity is more of a
desktop environment and has nothing to do with this issue.

There currently is no package named linux-firmware-free for Ubuntu on
launchpad to reopen any bug.  The Ubuntu packages are called linux-
firmware and linux-firmware-nonfree.

linux-firmware: This package provides firmware used by Linux kernel drivers.
linux-firmware-nonfree: This package provides non-free firmware used by Linux kernel drivers. Most of the firmware in this package is for television tuner cards. However, non-free firmware for other classes of devices are provided as well.

We assumed that these were maintained in sync and that linux-firmware
was only supposed to contain the free-software firmware while all
proprietary firmware should have went do linux-firmware-nonfree.  Based
on that assumption this report was opened, stating that the proprietary
intel firmware should be part of linux-firmware-nonfree instead of
linux-firmware.

But instead linux-firmware contains all firmware from the upstream
linux-firmware package, while linux-firmware-nonfree contains further
non-free firmware which is not in the linux-firmware upstream package.

Since this is not just a single misplaced firmware but linux-firmware
contains all firmware from upstream, including all the other proprietary
firmware, I believe that this report is the wrong place to track the
issue in, as it is specific to certain intel wireless firmware blobs.

Instead I would consider opening a new issue against the linux-firmware
package to address all non-free firmware.  Then possibly opening an
upstream report and link to it.  It may also be helpful to ask for the
linux-firmware-nonfree package to be renamed to linux-firmware-extra-
nonfree to hopefully avoid future confusion.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Mythbuntu
Bug Team, which is subscribed to linux-firmware-nonfree in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/179139

Title:
  Intel Wireless Restrictions:  ipw2100, ipw2200 are not Free

Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “linux-firmware” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “linux-firmware-nonfree” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.22” package in Ubuntu:
  Won't Fix

Bug description:
  The Intel series of wireless adapters requires the usage of a binary
  blob firmware.  In particular, consistent across all of the binary
  blob firmware files is the following clause:

  "Do not use or load this firmware (the "Software") until you have
  carefully read the following terms and conditions. By loading or using
  the Software, you agree to the terms of this Agreement. If you do not
  wish to so agree, do not install or use the Software."

  As such, the EULA is not presented to the user.  According to the web
  page, one must accept the EULA before using the binary blob firmware.

  Should this not be treated as a 'restricted' driver?  Nvidia's driver
  also requires the binary blob approach and is listed as a 'restricted
  driver' as it too requires an accepting of a EULA.

  EULA locations for the relevant firmware blobs:
  EULA for ipw2100:  http://ipw2100.sourceforge.net/firmware.php?fid=4
  EULA for ipw2200:  http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/firmware.php?fid=7

  The 3945 has a binary microcode blob that has a license as well, but
  doesn't seem as crippling:

  http://bughost.org/ipw3945/LICENSE

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