[Trisquel-devel] [Trisquel-users] Antwort: iwl3945 Problem

[Jos Collin]

Could you please respond to this email?

I'm trying to make the Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG WiFi adapter working
with my custom Trisquel installation. I have got the non-free ucode. I
just copied the iwlwifi-3945-2.ucode to the directory /lib/firmware.
But the non-free ucode is not getting detected and I got the following
errors.

The output of dmesg:

    [   16.873822] 0000:03:00.0: Missing Free firmware
    [   16.882094] input: SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad as
/devices/platform/i8042/serio1/input/input6
    [   16.885660] iwl3945 0000:03:00.0: /*(DEBLOBBED)*/ firmware file
req failed: -22
    [   16.885713] iwl3945 0000:03:00.0: Could not read microcode: -22
    [   16.946492] 0000:03:00.0: Missing Free firmware
    [   16.948869] iwl3945 0000:03:00.0: /*(DEBLOBBED)*/ firmware file
req failed: -22
    [   16.948922] iwl3945 0000:03:00.0: Could not read microcode: -22

So the following are my questions.

If I get the source code of the Intel 3945ABG driver from Intel,
compile it against the current version of the Linux-Libre Kernel and
install the newly compiled driver (iwl3945.ko), still the driver will
not find the non-free ucode?

Or is that a restriction implemented in the linux-libre kernel as part
of deblobbing ? Whether the functionality to load the Intel 3945ABG
ucode is removed from the kernel ?

Expecting a better answers from the developers. Please help.

Thanks,
Jos Collin

On 4/24/12, Jos Collin <joscollin at gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks Holger. As per your suggestion I'm forwarding this email thread to
> the development team.
>
> Hello Devs,
> Could you please let us know about the following? Please read the whole
> thread.
>
> Thanks,
> Jos Collin
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Holger Beetz <holger.beetz at googlemail.com>
> Date: Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 10:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [Trisquel-users] Antwort: iwl3945 Problem
> To: Jos Collin <joscollin at gmail.com>
>
>
> Jos,
>
> correct ! AFAIK the functionality to load the Intel 3945ABG ucode is
> removed but it would make more sense if on of the Trisquel devs answers on
> this one. They know it better. In the end it does not matter because even
> if the Linux-libre kernel would support loading propritary firmware it
> makes the purpose of Trisquel useless.
>
> Your client should stick to a Linux distribution which support
> non-free firmware (e.g. Ubuntu, Sabayon, Debian).
>
> Regards,
> Holger
>
> 2012/4/24 Jos Collin <joscollin at gmail.com>:
>> Holger,
>>
>> So even if I do the following, it won't help, as the kernel is
>> responsible
>> to load the ucode and it doesn't have the ability to load the ucode
> (removed
>> / disabled). Am I correct?
>>
>>> If I get the source code of the Intel 3945ABG driver, compile it against
>>> the current version of the Linux-Libre Kernel and install the newly
> compiled
>>> driver (iwl3945.ko) and then check if it loads the ucode.
>>
>>
>> Please reply, so that I can explain to the other person clearly.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Jos Collin
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 3:26 AM, <holger.beetz at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Jos,
>>>
>>> the later one. As far I know the abilities to load non-free firmware
> files
>>> is completely removed / disabled in the linux-libre kernel.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Holger
>>
>>
> On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 9:25 PM, Jos Collin <joscollin at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Holger,
>>
>> if your client wants to use a device which needs non-free firmware then
>>> you will need to use another distribution. Trisquel or more specific the
>>> Linux libre kernel does not support loading firmware.
>>>
>>> Does this mean that if I get the source code of the Intel 3945ABG
>>> driver,
>> compile it against the current version of the Linux-Libre Kernel and
>> install the newly compiled driver (iwl3945.ko), still the driver will not
>> find the non-free ucode?
>>
>> Or is that a restriction implemented in the linux-libre kernel as part of
>> deblobbing ?
>>
>> Please clarify.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Jos Collin
>>
>>
>