netdev - Re: [PATCH] bnx2: Use request

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Date:	Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:27:23 +0000
From:	Ben Hutchings <ben@...adent.org.uk>
To:	Rick Jones <rick.jones2@...com>
Cc:	Michael Chan <mchan@...adcom.com>,
	Bastian Blank <waldi@...ian.org>,
	"netdev@...r.kernel.org" <netdev@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] bnx2: Use request_firmware()

On Mon, 2009-03-23 at 18:26 -0700, Rick Jones wrote:
> Michael Chan wrote:
> > On Mon, 2009-03-23 at 17:14 -0700, Rick Jones wrote:
> > 
> >>Michael Chan wrote:
> >>
> >>>May be I'll break up each firmware section into a
> >>>different file and the file name will be updated with each version.
> >>>This will allow different sections to be updated separately and older
> >>>kernels will still have access to the older firmware.
> >>
> >>Is that really necessary?  It is enough "fun" finding just the one firmware file 
> >>as it is.
> > 
> > 
> > If all the firmware sections are in the same file, much of the firmware
> > file will be duplicated in a new file when we update just one section.
> 
> So?  Perhaps I'm just experiencing distro pain which may not continue to exist or 
> which may not matter to netdev, but when one is installing to a system that uses 
> a core NIC which has firmware cast-out into "non-free" siberia, life is "fun" 
> enough making sure one has the one firmware file let alone N of them.
[...]

If you're referring to Debian, that is exactly what Bastian and I are
working on.  Sourceless firmware is considered non-free, but it can
still be packaged, as the bnx2 firmware already has been.  We've also
had some discussions with David Woodhouse about semi-automatically
packaging all of the firmware that's now in the firmware subdirectory
and is clearly licensed.

Ben.


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