Free/Open Source Software and wireless -It's working!

[n0cmonkey]

Ryan McBride, the author of OpenBSD's Packet Filter firewall needs some help. The ACX100 802.11b wireless chipset has a driver, just no firmware.

Here is an email from Theo de Raadt looking for help convincing Intel to open up.

Theo even hopes Linux users and other BSD uers join in.

The requests are quite reasonable. The firmware source is not necessary, just an acceptable license to distribute and use it. Want to help? Send a few emails.

 

[n0cmonkey]

It looks like another company might care.

 

[n0cmonkey]

More info.

 

[Nothinman]

Everyone should send a nice, polite email even if you don't have one of their cards. It can't hurt.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
Everyone should send a nice, polite email even if you don't have one of their cards. It can't hurt.

Especially if you don't have any of these cards. I personally will not purchase one, and will recommend that no one else purchase one until things change.

The emails should definitely be polite. Honey > vinegar and all. 🙂

 

[n0cmonkey]

bump

 

[groovin]

sure ill send one out.

 

[n0cmonkey]

It's working. Keep it up. 😀

 

[tfinch2]

too many devil avatars in this thread! i'll sent just to break that trend. 😛

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
too many devil avatars in this thread! i'll sent just to break that trend. 😛

Thank you. 🙂

 

[drag]

What would be a acceptable liscence for firmware?

I figure it would permit you to freely distribute unaltered binaries of the firmware for either commercial or private use to allow the functioning of the intel-based chipsets in wireless cards...

I am I correct?

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: drag
What would be a acceptable liscence for firmware?

I figure it would permit you to freely distribute unaltered binaries of the firmware for either commercial or private use to allow the functioning of the intel-based chipsets in wireless cards...

I am I correct?

That's my guess. 🙂

 

[n0cmonkey]

Still no response from TI. 🙁

 

[n0cmonkey]

/. covers it

 

[n0cmonkey]

Interview with Theo de Raadt about this at kerneltrap.

It's a short interview, and worth the read. Be careful though, he calls out the Linux group a bit. 😉