- sorting out non-free firmware [LWN.net]

- sorting out non-free firmware

Posted Jun 21, 2005 7:56 UTC (Tue) by jonth (subscriber, #4008)
In reply to: - sorting out non-free firmware by smitty_one_each
Parent article: Debian release team meeting minutes

Umm... I'm currently running Debian unstable, and I see the prism drivers just fine.

$ locate prism54.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.11-1-686/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/prism54/prism54.ko
/lib/modules/2.6.8-2-686/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/prism54/prism54.ko
/usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.11/drivers/net/wireless/prism54/.prism54.ko.cmd
/usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.11/drivers/net/wireless/prism54/prism54.ko

I've no idea if they work - I have an Atheros based card, whose drivers aren't part of the mainline kernel.

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prism54 is for full-MAC only

Posted Jun 21, 2005 16:11 UTC (Tue) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link]

The prism54 driver only works with devices that support "full-MAC" firmware. Devices that require "thin-MAC" firmware are not supported. More details in the Wireless HOWTO by Jean Tourrilhes.

prism54 is for full-MAC only

Posted Jun 22, 2005 3:14 UTC (Wed) by Ross (subscriber, #4065) [Link]

What I have always wondered is how you can tell the difference? Often the
hardware manufacturer changes things without changing the name of the
product. I'm not going to be able to look at the chip ids or serial numbers
before I buy something.

I wish I could find an a/b/g PCMCIA card which worked with GPL drivers...