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Re: [LUG] Binary firmware licences

 

On Monday 27 February 2006 3:38 pm, Robin Cornelius wrote:

OK, just so that the LUG knows the Debian situation for this:

> A driver project i am involved with is in a fairly unique situation in
> the fact that we have a very good relationship with hardware company and
> we are currently trying to sort out some firmware problems. Some of the
> newer versions of hardware require firmware to operate, the hardware
> vendor is willing to place the firmware files for direct download on
> their website,( instead of being packaged in a windows .sys driver),
> which is *very* nice of them.

As far as the Debian Free Software Guidelines are concerned, the *contents* of 
any package must conform to the DFSG, in this case all contents must be 
modifiable. It does not matter what kind of contents they are, it does not 
matter where the content is intended to be used or run. If it's distributed 
in a Debian package intended for main, all contents of the package must 
comply with the DFSG.

If it does not or cannot comply, the package goes into non-free.

> It would be good if we could attach a licence with the firmware that
> would permit its redistribution with the open source drivers.

It doesn't matter what licence is attached to the firmware, if it is not 
modifiable (i.e. no source code), then it is not compatible with the DFSG.

> Are there any existing 
> licences that are usable for binary firmware distribution?

Yes, just none compatible with the DFSG.

> Ideally 
> compatibility with debian would be nice as they are one of the strictest
> distros by trying to keep the code licences pure, is it possible to have
> binary only compatibility with debian in this way?

Only by packaging in Debian non-free.

The modules themselves could go into contrib (as they do comply with the DFSG 
but won't work without the non-free firmware) but this just makes a third 
package. If, e.g., the firmware was packaged directly from the company 
website, then the driver code that depends on that firmware could be packaged 
separately and put into contrib. That just makes an extra dependency but it 
does clarify the situation regarding the driver and the firmware.

> or is the way to 
> solve things to have a package that pulls the firmware from the vendors
> website when installing?.

If the firmware is required to build or test some or all of the code within 
the package, building the package itself will fail.

Debian will distribute this firmware but only if the firmware goes into 
non-free and any code that depends on that firmware goes either into non-free 
or contrib.

-- 

Neil Williams
=============
http://www.data-freedom.org/
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/
http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/

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