Non-free firmware in atheros-firmware?
I am a member!
Reading an old thread [1] (which is now locked, that's why I start a new one), I wonder if ar9271.fw reported there to be distributed by Trisquel (package atheros-firmware) is not non-free as well as ar7010_1_1.fw, because Debian lists them both under firmware-nonfree [2].
[1] https://trisquel.info/en/forum/atheros-usb-80211n-cards
[2] http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/kernel/dists/trunk/firmware-nonfree/atheros/
What do you think? I see a binary blob embedded in the ar9271.fw file and no license. [3]
[3] http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/kernel/dists/trunk/firmware-nonfree/atheros/ar9271.fw?view=markup
> new one), I wonder if ar9271.fw reported there to be distributed by
> Trisquel (package atheros-firmware)
http://packages.trisquel.info/toutatis/all/atheros-firmware/filelist
suggests the package containing only ar9170.fw which has been free for a
long time. The ath9k_htc firmware is not packaged yet, it is a free
derivative of the sourceless firmware included in other distros (which
has a license).
I am a member!
The ar9170 has always been under a free software license and the source code is available. There may be a license violation if it is being distributed without the source code or at least an offer of it to those its distributed to.
The ar9271 firmware does have a non-free version. The code was cleaned up and made available under free software licenses.