Hello, on https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?p=798356#p798356, it was mentioned that we should use the parameter live-installer/enable=false on a Debian Live ISO in order to recognize the firmware=never parameter. Ideally, if the parameter firmware=never is not recognized, it should include the parameter live-installer/enable=false or the installation should ask the user if they want proprietary firmware. On https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?p=799106#p799106, it was confirmed that free firmware is also skipped when using the firmware=never parameter. It would be useful to have a parameter like firmware=free to include only free firmware or make firmware=never include free firmware. Let me know if I should create a new bug report or if it can be handled in this report also.
On Sat, 27 Apr 2024 at 22:36, Cyril Brulebois <k...@debian.org> wrote: > Hi, > > Thanks for the report but wow, that's way too many topics. > > baptx <baptx...@gmail.com> (2024-04-27): > > The following issue is based on the discussion I created on > > https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=159027 where you can find > > attached the content of /var/log/installer/syslog which was generated > > on a virtual machine with virt-manager when installing > > debian-live-12.5.0-amd64-lxqt.iso with the firmware=never parameter > > (the problem was also present on my real computer when I tested with a > > previous version debian-live-12.0.0-amd64-lxqt.iso). I also attached > > the result of the vrms command after using firmware=never parameter. > > vrms is irrelevant. > > > To compare, you can also find attached another installer syslog > > without using firmware=never parameter, which also contains the line > > "hw-detect: skipping check-missing-firmware as requested by the > > caller" and looks like a bug. > > No, it's not. See check on CHECK_MISSING_FIRMWARE in hw-detect. > > > The firmware=never parameter did not work at all when using the LXQt > > ISO file (maybe the problem also happens on ISO files with other > > desktop environments), the non-free firmware packages were installed. > > That would be a bug in debian-live then, not in debian-installer. Cc-ing > accordingly. > > > And with the LXQt ISO file, the graphical expert install as well as > > the text expert install did not ask me if I want the non-free firmware > > packages, they were installed automatically. > > > I noticed the firmware=never parameter only worked with the netinst > > ISO file. > > Well, that's been added for use by debian-installer. What debian-live > does or doesn't do with it is outside our control. > > > For the automatic detection of needed non-free firmware packages, it > > only worked with the netinst ISO file as well (the LXQt ISO file > > installed all non-free firmware packages). But even with netinst ISO > > file, it seems it is only guessing the non-free firmware packages > > needed since several were not needed to make my laptop work correctly > > (firmware-realtek, firmware-sof-signed) when installed on my real > > computer instead of a virtual machine. > > The lookup is based on what devices are seen during the installation > process. If the relevant kernel modules list firmware files, we try to > match them to firmware packages, and queue their installation. Unless > firmware=never was used of course. That doesn't mean they are absolutely > required for those devices to work. There is just no way to know for > sure. > > > It would also be useful to have the firmware=never parameter added in > > a menu in the normal graphical installation (for people who don't want > > the complexity of the expert installation), since it is more > > convenient to have it in a menu and also avoids mistakes when typing > > firmware=never (I accidentally typed firmzare due to my AZERTY > > keyboard and the QWERTY input). > > Menu maintenance (esp. across architectures, BIOS vs. UEFI, etc.) is a > huge mess already, it might happen but I'm not holding my breath here. > > > It would be a good idea to warn the user if the entered parameter / > > value does not exist, to avoid unwanted results like installing > > non-free firmware. > > There's no absolute list to check against, so that cannot be done. > > > Cheers, > -- > Cyril Brulebois (k...@debian.org) <https://debamax.com/> > D-I release manager -- Release team member -- Freelance Consultant >
