Linux 4.14 Dropping In-Tree Firmware

Linux 4.14 is getting rid of its in-kernel firmware/ tree.

For years now most everyone has been relying upon the external Linux-Firmware.Git tree for managing the firmware binaries needed by the Linux kernel device drivers. But prior to that was the in-tree firmware/ destination.

Kernel developers had been meaning to get rid of this redundant in-kernel tree firmware handling, but never got around to it until this week when Greg KH was reminded about it at the Linux Plumbers Conference.

As such, with Linux 4.14 the remaining firmware binaries living within the Linux tree proper are being nuked with users instead being told to rely on the external linux-firmware.git tree.

There are a number of network adapters, RV600 series AMD firmware blobs, and various other firmware files that had been living in this old firmware location. Dropping it lightens the kernel's load by 129,170 lines with this commit.