Re: [gNewSense-users] GPL'd kernel blobs removed from gnewsense

[Kevin Dean]

Jeff, good to see that you're interested in the gNewSense project!

gNewSense has a policy of actively auditing all of the software in our
repositories and comparing them to the four freedoms.

I'm quite sure that you're familiar with them, but please humor me. :)

    *  The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
    * The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your
needs (freedom 1).
    * The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
(freedom 2).
    * The freedom to improve the program, and release your
improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits
(freedom 3).

The FSF maintains a list of licenses that are Free, but actually
determining if software respects, protects or hinders your freedom is
almost case-sensitive.

For instance, several of the drivers in the Linux kernel are licensed
under the GNU GPL but since the sources themselves do direct memory
accesses - preventing the user from understanding the process of WHY
these edits do a given thing - we feel that they do NOT respect
freedom 1. Furthermore, without understanding what the direct memory
edits are doing, you really don't have freedom to change how they
function.

This is why these drivers were removed from the Linux kernel. Also,
it's why the Radeon driver was removed from gNewSense's repository.

-Kevin


On Dec 21, 2007 9:14 AM, jeff <address@hidden> wrote:
> Karl Goetz wrote:
> > On Fri, 2007-12-21 at 04:02 -0300, jeff wrote:
> >> There are a number of kernel blobs in the gnewsense kernel that are 
> >> removed:
> >> http://svn.gnewsense.svnhopper.net/gnewsense/builder/trunk/firmware/firmware-removed
> >>
> >> Some of these blobs actually have their GPL'd source within the kernel. So
> >> while they are kernel blobs, they are still fine for gnewsense to 
> >> distribute
> >> since their source is available.
> >>
> >
> > Are these sourceless GPL, or are they false positives?
>
> They are GPL'd and have their sources in the kernel, which you can see in the
> list below. Thus, I think they are OK for inclusion in gnewsense if you want.
>
>
> >> The list and their matching source file:
> >>
> >> drivers/net/wan/wanxlfw.inc_shipped
> >> drivers/net/wan/wanxlfw.S
> >>
> >> drivers/scsi/aic7xxx/aic79xx_seq.h_shipped
> >> drivers/scsi/aic7xxx/aic79xx.seq
> >>
> >> drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_pda_fw.h
> >> drivers/usb/serial/keyspan_pda.S
> >>
> >> drivers/usb/serial/xircom_pgs_fw.h
> >> drivers/usb/serial/xircom_pgs.S
> >>
> >>
> >> Debian has a very good list with details about blobs in the kernel:
> >> http://wiki.debian.org/KernelFirmwareLicensing
> >>
> >> -Jeff
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> gNewSense-users mailing list
> >> address@hidden
> >> http://lists.nongnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnewsense-users
>
>
>
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