openfwwf source package unbuildable, missing b43-asm build-dep

Projekt:Trisquel
Komponente:Programs
Kategorie:Fehlerbericht
Priorität:normal
Zugewiesen:nicht zugewiesen
Status:closed
Beschreibung

The openfwwf package includes two firmware files that seem suspect: b0g0initvals5.fw and b0g0bsinitvals5.fw. These both come from the original nonfree driver for the device. There are a few ways you can tell:

  • The openfwwf source package Build-Depends on b43-asm. That's because the b43-asm package provides these files, and openfwwf simply copies them into its own package. b43-asm is not included in the Trisquel repositories, I'm guessing because the nonfree firmware issue has already been noticed there.
  • The upstream site for OpenFWWF explains: "To make the firmware work properly you need at least 2 more files that must be extracted from original Broadcom drivers: b0g0bsinitvals5.fw and b0g0initvals5.fw." Then it gives you a link that tells you how to use b43-fwcutter (already on the NONFSDG list in the LibrePlanet wiki) to get these files.

Based on the filenames of the files involved, it's possible that these files don't really have firmware code, but instead they just have a set of initialization values to send to the hardware. If that's the case, then assuming it's legal to distribute the files at all, I think some sort of change should be made in the Trisquel repositories so that it's possible to build the openfwwf source package. (We should also consider removing b43-fwcutter from the NONFSDG list, too, since that would mean it's useful for something besides installing nonfree drivers.)

But, if the files do have firmware code, then openfwwf should be removed from Trisquel and added to the NONFSDG list.

Do, 12/02/2010 - 21:09
Titel:openfwwf source package unbuildable; may have nonfree dependencies» openfwwf source package unbuildable, missing b43-asm build-dep

There is one missing dependency -the b43-asm assembler-, but it is free software under the GPL2. This program can be found in the b43-tools package:
git://git.bu3sch.de/b43-tools.git

This package contains the fwcutter too -among others-, but it is not used to compile openfwwf, only the assembler. I'll package just this piece and add it to the repos. I'm changing the bug title.

Some extra details: the b43-asm program contains no firmware files, both b0g0initvals5.fw and b0g0bsinitvals5.fw are produced from the openfwwf source code package.

Do, 12/02/2010 - 21:56
Status:active» closed

b43-asm is now available in both T3.5 and T4.0 repos. I'm closing this issue.