Hi, On Mon, Sep 10, 2012 at 02:54:12AM +0100, Ben Hutchings wrote: > On Thu, 2012-09-06 at 02:32 +0900, Osamu Aoki wrote: > > Hi, > > > > On Mon, Sep 03, 2012 at 10:24:30AM -0700, Grant H. wrote: > [...] > > > Problem: In 9.7.6. "Non-free hardware drivers" states as follows: > > > ============================== > > > Although most of hardware drivers are available as free software and as > > > a part of the Debian system, you may need to load some non-free external > > > drivers to support some hardwares, such as Winmodem, on your system. > > > > > > Tip > > > Check available firmware packages with "aptitude search ^firmware" while > > > enabling the non-free repository. > > > > > > Tip > > > The NDISwrapper can use Windows XP network drivers natively on Linux. > > > Check "aptitude search ^ndis". > > > ============================== > > > > As I see this problem, this is one of the issue for "separation". > [...] > > There is another problem with the abovetext - it mixes up non-free > drivers and firmware. I realise they're both software and we would like > them both to be free software; that's not what I'm arguing. My point is > that it may lead users to confuse drivers and firmware (which leads to > misfiled bug reports, etc.).
Are you suggesting for me to replace s/hardware drivers/drivers and firmwares of peripheral devices/ s/external drivers/external drivers and firmwares/ My text may have been a bit sloppy but my intent was to use "hardware driver" in the broader sense including firmware loading driver code and its data (i.e., firmware). I understand in stricter sense, these words are used as: * driver: code running on the target architecture. binary windows XP driver following NDIS is non-free driver binary GPU driver offered as kernel module is non-free driver * firmware: code or data loaded on the peripheral device (These could be rendering code running on GPU, or FPGA/PLD netlist data, ...) I understand that the current official Debian position is all these are non-free if they do not come with the SOURCE. (I personally think requiring the source for FPGA/PLD netlist data is a bit awkward but I am not here to argue for this point.) > The specific references to NDISWrapper and Winmodem also seem rather > outdated now. Outdated in what sense. I understand recent focus of NON-FREE driver is GPU. My understanding of GPU driver is: * Intel GPU (including ones coming in the same chip as CPU): FREE driver supported by the vender * ATI(AMD) and NVIDIA GPU: NON-FREE driver supported by the vender FREE driver (Tends to be less featureful than NON-FREE driver) Or outdated because NDIS and Winmodem situation has changed? I understand recent free atheros drivers are very good shape making NDISwrapper is not needed for most popular hardwares. That is true for my case but I wrote this before such time and I was not sure if it is true for others having different hardware. For modem, I never bought Winmodem nor I use POTS MODEM these days. So this is carried over for last 5-8 years. Regards, Osamu -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-project-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/20120910124324.GB5890@goofy.localdomain