Re: [gNewSense-users] GPL'd kernel blobs removed from gnewsense

[jeff]

Paul O'Malley wrote:
> Don Parris wrote:
> > Not being a programmer, your comment aroused my curiosity.  If you 
> > have the
> > sources, how can the sources prevent a user from understanding the WHY in
> > this case?  I wouldn't likely understand it unless it was documented 
> > as to
> > 'why' to begin with.  I really would like to get a little deeper 
> > insight.  I
> > have dabbled a little with programming in PHP/Python, but my practical
> > knowledge is very limited.  I do understand many of the basic concepts
> > however.  Wouldn't a programmer who is interested in hacking on the 
> > kernel
> > be able to analyze/discern the 'why'?  Why or why wouldn't (s)he?
> Because it is machine code, i.e. a binary blob, not penetratable in the 
> way of the C language, Perl, Python, PHP, or the Bash shell.
>
> They are for want of a description precompiled and then published with 
> permission to alter them in their compiled format.
>
> Not the most user friendly  thing in the world.
>
> They are free in spirit but non free in practice.

Actually, in these particular cases, I was arguing that they *are* free in 
SPIRIT and they are free in PRACTICE. This seems especially the case in 
drivers/scsi/aic7xxx/aic79xx.seq.

As we discussed in IRC they do look like possible candidates for re-inclusion, 
but unless there is a particular need for them as requested by a user, it is 
low priority for gnewsense to re-add them. These are somewhat obscure drivers. 
Basically gnewsense is playing it on the safe side here.

-Jeff