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Update On OpenBSD Firmware Activism
putko writes "Here's an update on the OpenBSD firmware activism. Basically, Intel says no. Plenty of contact info, in case you want to write someone an email or a phone call.
As Theo writes, 'Without
these firmware files included in OpenBSD, users must go do some
click-through license at some web site to get at the files. Without
those files, these devices are just bits of metal, plastic, and sand.'" While I applaud the notion behind Freer distribution (as in beer) it's also highly probable that Intel doesn't have much ground make them freer - we've seen this before on machines like the HP nw8000; basically, the wireless stuff is owned by someone else, licensed by Intel. That's not to say that the fight isn't worth fighting for freer distribution - it is. But if you want to make your voice heard, remember to be effective advocate.
They are NOT asking to open source the driver(s), but to allow free redistribution of the binary firmware.
Bullshit.
What they are basically not satisfied with is that the firmware is not available under freely redistributable terms. It is not illegal to redistribute a binary firmware under a freely redistributable license.
What the hell is wrong with giving a freely redistributable binary only firmware to the OSS community so that they can use a open source driver?
No, it's not unavailable, but it does make it impossible to do a networked based install over one of the intel wireless cards.
It's not to 'open source' the firmware, it's to be able to [re]distribute the binary version. There's no harm in Intel doing that, just that someone's (be it Intel or whoever they contracted with) is clueless!
Dude, did you even understand the thing, this is slashdot I am asking too much. No one asked intel to opensource anything, they just asked for a more flexible way of distributing FIRMWARE.
Maybe that's because Centrino is a platform, not just the wireless part of the package (Pentium M and the mobo being the other two parts of the package).
If the firmware for your DSL modem was licensed such that it could be freely redistributed, operating systems like OpenBSD and FreeBSD could include that firmware and save you the "pain" of downloading it. Good documentation doesn't cut it if it says 'go here and download this' and you say 'but I have no network connection.'
RTFA!!!
OpenBSD wants only free distribution right of the binary files. That's all, they don't even want the right to modify the binary. Just to be able to distribute it like they do with so many other firmware files. Else you have to go download the file from somewhere else (how do you do that without a network connection) or OpenBSD has to sign an agreement that they won't since they would have to limit the way they distribute their software. Among other things, they would have to put you through a click through license when installing OpenBSD!!!!