Re: [gNewSense-users] Firmware - out of the kernel but still in the hardware?

[J.B. Nicholson-Owens]

Dennis Kibbe wrote:
> For example, the Intel 2200 chipset doesn't work with gNewSense because
> of firmware blobs missing from /lib/firmware.  The Netgear MA-401 PCMCIA
> card does work, but isn't that just because the firmware is in the
> chipset in the card instead of in the kernel?
>
> If that's the case then the end result is the same, isn't it?

I find RMS' argument on this to be well-reasoned.  I'll try and 
summarize it: it's not the same situation if the Netgear card you name 
doesn't support uploading new software.  If the Netgear card has ROM on 
it holding this code and the code on that ROM can't be changed by 
uploading new software to it, then the Netgear card might as well use 
circuitry to do what that ROM does.

On the other hand, the Intel card you name supports uploading different 
software to it, therefore it's the same situation as a general-purpose 
computer running different programs as far as software freedom goes. 
One could, theoretically, spend the time reverse-engineering the 
software for the Intel card and upload different software, fixing bugs, 
adding features, etc.  This makes the Intel card more versatile but 
non-free until we get free software to send to it.