[Mageia-dev] Clarification on firmware licenses

[Thomas Backlund]

Anssi Hannula skrev 15.1.2011 21:00:
> Hi all!
>
> Sorry for bringing this stuff up again, but it seems there is still some
> confusion regarding firmware licenses and to which repository put the
> various firmware packages.
>
> Clear cases:
> - open-source firmware with source code goes to core
> - firmware which doesn't allow modifications or has other similar
>    restrictions goes to non-free
>
> However, what to do with firmware that is licensed under a free license
> (e.g. BSD/GPL) that doesn't have source code?
> There are quite a few of those (see e.g. [1]).
>
> A quick look at other distros shows the following:
>
> Debian:
>   - All firmware without source code goes to non-free.


This is exactly how I have planned to clean up the firmware,
but I have not had the time yet...

So kernel-firmware (wich belongs in core) and kernel-firmware-extra 
(wich belongs in nonfree) will have to be modified...

Anything in kernel-firmware without proper license & source will be 
moved to kernel-firmware-extra.

Anything in kernel-firmware-extra with open-source firmware and source 
will be moved to kernel-firmware.

The same goes for every other firmware in the distro.

--
Thomas