[Mageia-dev] Non-free firmwares in installer

Fri Mar 25 09:41:08 CET 2011

+----- "Tux99" <tux99-mga at uridium.org> wrote:
+
+> Quote: andr55 wrote on Fri, 25 March 2011 01:29
+> 
+> > My though was essentially that firmware is so close to hardware
+> that
+> > its 
+> > actual free/non-free status shouldn't apply - we should treat it
+> like 
+> > (almost) part of the hardware.
+> 
+> I agree with that. After all nobody (apart from R. Stallmann)
+> questions the
+> fact that the BIOS of their PC is non-free or all the other firmware
+> or
+> microcode on various chips on the motherboard and on expansion cards
+> and
+> peripherals.
+> 
+> Firmware belongs into 'core',
+
+You mean, firmware which has an unrestricted distribution licence?
+
+> Nvidia/ATI drivers and the Flash plugin
+> belong into 'non-free'.
+
+Actually, for Flash, we need a redistribution license. Has someone contacted Adobe about this?
+
+Redistribution of Flash without a licence is prohibited[1]. We can apply for a licence to redistribute[2].
+
+Regards,
+Buchan
+
+1. http://www.adobe.com/products/players/fpsh_faq.html#section-1-5
+2. http://www.adobe.com/go/fp_apply_dist
+