MJ Ray wrote: > I think the idea that refusing to ship non-free firmware in main will > strengthen demand for free firmware is worthy of consideration. Debian > helps users to take control of their operating system. Increasing the > demand for free firmware might also help users to take control of their > hardware, or at least highlight that there's this crap which their > operating system uses to support their hardware but doesn't have its > normal freedoms. > > However, I'm undecided whether it's a good idea to exclude them from the > distribution CDs and so on. How big is the problem of vital hardware > which won't work without firmware being copied to it?
Complete list at http://doolittle.icarus.com/~larry/fwinventory/2.6.17.html, with details. What that list does *not* show is that certain drivers only need firmware loaded for some of their supported cards. In the case of tg3, only a few rare (and old) cards actually need the firmware loaded. > Should we split > non-free into non-free-hardware and non-free, allowing non-free-hardware > packages onto the CDs? Should we allow certain non-free material onto the installation CDs? Actually, that would be an compromise OK with me: the installation CDs only get used the once, and the material would be clearly separated out into the non-free section during and after installation. Doesn't address the legal issue of whether material without a proper distribution license should be included. -- Nathanael Nerode <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Bush admitted to violating FISA and said he was proud of it. So why isn't he in prison yet?... -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]