Free-as-in-freedom alternatives to iwlwifi-3945-2/1.ucode Wi-Fi drivers

3 Antworten [Letzter Beitrag]
VladimirVilimaitis
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Beigetreten: 05/18/2014

Currently, I am bound on using non-free Wi-Fi drivers on my laptop, which are iwlwifi-3945-2.ucode and iwlwifi-3945-1.ucode, what prevents me from installing Trisquel GNU/Linux on my machine. Are there reverse-engineered free-as-in-freedom alternatives for these drivers?

Jodiendo
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Beigetreten: 01/09/2013

Your QUESTION ARE LEGIT, but my past experience TAUGHT ME, That you EITHER QUIT USING CRAZY TRISQUEL OR YOU would end buying or replacing the WIFI Card.

I opt to replace the WIFI card on my old laptop, I don't regret it! but my own personal opinion is irrelevant to others.

I still stand that any WIFI transmitting radio waves, the device is not secure. It does not matter, Either you are using proprietary binary code or the "Libre-binary code, when it comes to WIFI transmissions AND HANDSHAKE methods.

In my opinion. is Just a strategic cliche to raise revenues used by the libre society in their advantage MAKING TRISQUEL COMPATIBLE only WITH CERTAIN BRANDS OF WIFI CARDS only. That does not justify their reason's in not allowing other WIFI CARD MANUFACTURES TO BE COMPATIBLE.

This is just my opinion.

Chris

I am a member!

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Beigetreten: 04/23/2011

What your implying is extremely ignorant, offensive, and just plain wrong. Trisquel doesn't raise enough funds to cover trips for its lead developer to LibrePlanet let alone pay the lead developer. To say its somehow egregiously taking advantage of its users is wrong. The only people who would make such a claim don't understand what free software is or the reasons it exists.

The reason for replacing hardware is purely down to non-free software issues created by companies which think that they are gaining an advantage by keeping code secret. It's not just drivers and firmware that are removed from Trisquel. It's everything that is under a non-free license and any bits of code which link to or point out non-free software. Trisquel follows the Free Software Foundation's distribution recommendations / guidelines and avoids promoting non-free software in any way, shape, or form. The project gets no money from the Free Software Foundation either. None of these decisions have had anything to do with fund raising. If Trisquel were purely about financial interests it would not be excluding non-free software. The exact opposite would probably be true. The leading distribution is hardly a 'free software' project, but it is significantly better off with sufficient finances to pay several full time developers, and that can easily be contributed to its stand on including non-free software.

I'm the CEO for ThinkPenguin and I can tell you whats been raised (approximately, it's public already). It's been a mere few thousand US dollars at best, from Trisquel/ThinkPenguin relationships, but to make a point, most of the money Trisquel's raised has been through direct donations and its associate membership program. The real value here is for the users as it reduces the amount of non-free software one is dependent on.

Chris

I am a member!

Offline
Beigetreten: 04/23/2011

No. There are very few reverse engineered drivers. It appears you have an Intel wifi chipset and there are no free solutions for these chipsets. Such a feat requires significant energies and the results are generally poor.

Unfortunately many manufacturers today are also implementing digital restrictions that make moving to GNU/Linux near impossible. From digital restrictions on the mini PCIe card slot to technologies like secure boot. The best thing to do is be conscious of what your buying before you buy it.

HP, Toshiba, Sony, Apple, Lenovo/IBM, and Dell are particularly gregarious in use of digital restrictions and/or proprietary designs.

While there are still lots of potential issues with other manufacturers most of the others are not intentionally preventing users from installing third party parts. They are still doing things hostile to users though. For example they are forcing proprietary software licenses on users.

In most instances you can get around some of these issues with free software friendly USB dongles or by replacing the mini PCIe wifi card (if it's not one of the above companies).

If you purchase a replacement component from ThinkPenguin 25% of the profits go to the Trisquel project. Just visit via http://libre.thinkpenguin.com/