Josh Triplett wrote: > Guido Trotter wrote: >> The code for ipw2100 is free software. To load the driver you'll need a >> firmware which is non-free and subject to an EULA (for details see >> http://ipw2100.sourceforge.net/firmware.php?fid=2). Debian cannot thus >> distribute this thing (the firmware), neither in main nor in non-free. >> >> Now the point is: the source code itself doesn't need the firmware to >> be built, but the resulting modules are completely useless without it. >> >> So should this package go in contrib, or is it allowed to stay in main? > > If the modules without the firmware are usable for any hardware (such as > a version of the hardware that has the firmware permanently stored in > it), the modules can stay in main, since at least some users can use it > without installing non-free software. If the modules cannot operate any > piece of hardware without the non-free firmware, the modules must go in > contrib.
Um, "what he said", just so you know it's not just his opinion. I think there's consensus on this; it's basically what 'contrib' was invented for. -- There are none so blind as those who will not see.
