Re: non-free software requirement

From	Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org>
Newsgroups	linux.debian.user
Subject	Re: non-free software requirement
Date	2016-12-09 21:00 +0100
Message-ID	<sMzuO-7nI-9@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References	<sLIqz-7Qr-17@gated-at.bofh.it> <sLSzw-5Ru-11@gated-at.bofh.it> <sLTFg-6FW-47@gated-at.bofh.it> <sMcHT-1En-11@gated-at.bofh.it> <sMgBP-46l-13@gated-at.bofh.it>
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Le 09/12/2016 à 00:46, Mark Fletcher a écrit :
> that: 1) some drivers, for esoteric reasons, don't work as modules and
> have to be compiled into the kernel image,

AFAIK, none of built-in drivers need any out-of-kernel firmware. How 
could such firmware be loaded before a root filesystem is mounted ?

> 2) udev rules may have subtle
> flaws that cause drivers that are not needed to be loaded when hardware
> is detected.

Any example of unneeded modules loaded by udev ?

> So, if your computer is generally working it's possible that the device
> driver that is complaining about missing firmware is actually a driver
> you don't need...
(...)
> On my Jessie install, there are several complaints about missing
> firmware for drivers for hardware I don't have...

I am very skeptical about this. IME, a driver only asks for a firmware 
if it detects a device which needs it. So even if a driver is loaded 
without any related hardware present, it won't ask for any firmware.

Aren't you confusing with update-initramfs warning messages about 
possibly missing firmwares ? Otherwise, could you give an example of a 
driver module which is loaded and asks for firmware for hardware which 
is not present, and post the related kernel log lines ?

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non-free software requirement Steve Greig <greigsteve@gmail.com> - 2016-12-07 12:20 +0100
  Re: non-free software requirement Santiago Vila <sanvila@debian.org> - 2016-12-07 16:10 +0100
  Re: non-free software requirement Yvan Masson <yvan.masson@openmailbox.org> - 2016-12-07 16:50 +0100
  Re: non-free software requirement Henrique de Moraes Holschuh <hmh@debian.org> - 2016-12-07 23:10 +0100
    Re: non-free software requirement Steve Greig <greigsteve@gmail.com> - 2016-12-08 00:20 +0100
      Re: non-free software requirement Yvan Masson <yvan.masson@openmailbox.org> - 2016-12-08 20:40 +0100
        Re: non-free software requirement Mark Fletcher <mark27q1@gmail.com> - 2016-12-09 00:50 +0100
          Re: non-free software requirement Henrique de Moraes Holschuh <hmh@debian.org> - 2016-12-09 01:50 +0100
          Re: non-free software requirement Pascal Hambourg <pascal@plouf.fr.eu.org> - 2016-12-09 21:00 +0100

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