Debian 6.0 Kernel Will Be Free Of Closed Firmware

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Debian 6.0 Kernel Will Be Free Of Closed Firmware

The Debian project has announced with their Debian 6.0 "Squeeze" release their default Linux kernel will be free of any non-free firmware/microcode. The Debian developers wish to have their kernel free absolutely of any non-free firmware bits, although Linus Torvalds has allowed such firmware for wireless adapters and other computer components generally into the Linux kernel...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=ODkyNQ

[Kano]

Basically you have to add firmware for most wireless devices and lots of dvb hardware. So would i ship it without firmware it would be non functional first, that's not good. Maybe for purists...

[DeepDayze]

A workaround is to get the latest firmware-nonfree package and put it on a USB stick then install it right after installing Debian to get the functionality

[Kano]

Nobody likes to do that with a live image.

[fjwhittle]

I think the DPL may need their dried frog pill dosage adjusted.

[yoshi314]

debian is on a fast track to becoming most useless distro ever with that kind of attitude.

[Kano]

Well you can install lots of needed firmware from the repository, it is just not installed by default with official debian images. When you only base your work on debian you can preinstall anything you want basically...

[yogi_berra]

Basically you have to add firmware for most wireless devices and lots of dvb hardware. So would i ship it without firmware it would be non functional first, that's not good. Maybe for purists...

The problem is the way the argument was framed, essentially everyone for the removal of firmware is thinking the firmware is similar to nvidia and fglrx.

No one bothers pointing out that the "blobs" meet the requirements of the four freedoms. The only thing stopping anyone from reading and understanding the tables of numbers that make up most of the "blobs" is themselves.

[d4ddi0]

2 thoughts...

First, I'll bet this will make a more stable system on supported hardware. I can't imagine running straight debian on anything that isn't a server, so I imagine the negative impact is pretty limitted.

Come on guys, this is the distro where "stable" has only been updated every three or four years (although I notice that **gasp** they just released lenny a short 1.5 years after etch)

Second, Derivatives such as Ubuntu will certainly not follow suit unless the number of drivers needing firmware becomes less intimately tied to necessary services such as video and network.

[monraaf]

No to non-free firmware, no to non-free Firefox artwork. But yes to non-free Mono disease. Debian is like a vegetarian wearing a fur coat. I cannot take this distro seriously.