9 May
2004
9 May
'04
4:52 p.m.
let me clarify the situation. there are a couple of
different
questions regarding this:
1. is the firmware binary is a program or a data?
2. can we force the h/w vendor to show the source code under GPL (if
exists) in practice?
3. if not, shouldn't we change the license to the non-restrictive one?
which license would be feasible?
so far, alsa-firmware package is released from the understanding of 1
as "data". but if someone insists it as program, yes, it can be a
problem.
I tend to look at it (very conveniently, of course) as neither. I view
it as part of the hardware device we're dealing with. Without it the
device does not work. It is distributed as a separate file (inside the
driver disk that actually comes with the device) because it is
convenient for the manufacturer for updates, avoiding a flash rom in the
device, and so on and so forth.
Most probably very few people will agree with this viewpoint :-)
-- Fernando