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Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k)

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My main concern for the laptop in question is security. So from a 
security standpoint, what is the difference between using a wifi card 
with built in closed source firmware, and closed source firmware that is 
loaded by the kernel like ath10k. Either way the firmware is only 
running on the card, Not the CPU, correct?

Or am I misunderstanding the terminology?

Obviously neither is ideal but is either less secure?

---
Steven Mainor

---
Steven Mainor

On 2021-01-16 12:52, Reco wrote:
> Hi.
> 
> On Sat, Jan 16, 2021 at 12:25:10PM -0500, Steven Mainor wrote:
>> I have a laptop with a QCA9377 Atheros AC wifi card. When I install
>> debian 10.7 amd64 I get a warning about missing non-free firmware and
>> the wifi doesn't work. It was my understanding that ath10k was open
>> source and included in linux. Is this not the case?
> 
> The driver is free software. The firmware it requires is not.
> Thank US FCC for that - [1].
> 
> 
>> If not is there any wireless AC card that doesn't require binary
>> drivers?
> 
> To the best of my knowledge - there are none. Again, [1].
> 
> 
>> And barring that, what is the best wifi(N?) card I can buy
>> that doesn't require closed source drivers/firmware?
> 
> Anything that's ath9k supports does not require any firmware at all.
> Ath9k is limited to 802.1n though. See [2] for an example list.
> 
> Reco
> 
> [1] https://hackaday.com/2016/02/26/fcc-locks-down-router-firmware
> [2] 
> https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/ath9k/products/external

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Thread

Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Steven Mainor <steve@degga.net> - 2021-01-16 18:30 +0100
  Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Reco <recoverym4n@enotuniq.net> - 2021-01-16 19:00 +0100
    Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Steven Mainor <steve@degga.net> - 2021-01-16 19:20 +0100
      Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) "Andrew M.A. Cater" <amacater@einval.com> - 2021-01-16 19:30 +0100
        Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-01-16 20:40 +0100
          Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) "Andrew M.A. Cater" <amacater@einval.com> - 2021-01-16 22:20 +0100
            Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-01-17 20:30 +0100
          Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2021-01-16 23:00 +0100
            Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2021-01-16 23:10 +0100
              Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2021-01-17 06:10 +0100
                Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Darac Marjal <mailinglist@darac.org.uk> - 2021-01-17 13:50 +0100
                Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2021-01-18 08:20 +0100
              Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2021-01-18 08:00 +0100
            Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) didier gaumet <didier.gaumet@gmail.com> - 2021-01-17 10:00 +0100
      Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-01-16 21:00 +0100
        Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-01-17 21:20 +0100
          Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Andrei POPESCU <andreimpopescu@gmail.com> - 2021-01-18 08:20 +0100
            Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-01-18 10:30 +0100
      Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Reco <recoverym4n@enotuniq.net> - 2021-01-16 21:50 +0100
    Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Celejar <celejar@gmail.com> - 2021-01-17 02:50 +0100
      Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-01-17 10:20 +0100
  Re: Open source Atheros wifi? (ath10k) Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-01-16 22:50 +0100

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