Firmware

Fedora Firmware Special Interest Group

Mission

Goal: to get all legally available firmware needed to get devices to work packaged for / in Fedora so that a users devices which require firmware will just work

We aim to accomplish this goal through a variety of activities:

• Creating packages of firmware
• Contact manufacturers asking them under which conditions their firmware may be redistributed
• Contact manufacturers requesting them to modify their firmware redistribution conditions, to make them Fedora compatible

Available firmware

• alsa-firmware - for several ALSA-supported sound cards
• asterisk-firmware - for the Digium S101I (IAXy)
• ar9170-firmware - for Atheros AR9170 wireless network adapters
• atmel-firmware - for Atmel at76c50x wireless network chips
• b43-openfwwf - for some Broadcom 43xx series WLAN chip
• bfa-firmware - for Brocade Fibre Channel HBA
• cx18-firmware - for Conexant cx23418-based video capture devices
• ipw2100-firmware - for Intel® PRO/Wireless 2100 network adaptors
• ipw2200-firmware - for Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 network adaptors
• iscan-firmware - for Epson flatbed scanners
• ivtv-firmware - for the Hauppauge PVR 250/350/150/500/USB2 model series
• iwl1000-firmware - for Intel® PRO/Wireless 1000 B/G/N network adaptors
• iwl3945-firmware - for Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945 A/B/G network adaptors
• iwl4965-firmware - for Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 A/G/N network adaptors
• iwl5000-firmware - for Intel® PRO/Wireless 5000 A/G/N network adaptors
• iwl5150-firmware - for Intel® PRO/Wireless 5150 A/G/N network adaptors
• iwl6000-firmware - for Intel® PRO/Wireless 6000 A/G/N network adaptors
• libertas-sd8686-firmware - for Marvell Libertas SD 8686 Network Adapter
• libertas-usb8388-firmware - for Marvell Libertas USB 8388 Network Adapter
• linux-firmware - firmware files used by the Linux kernel
• midisport-firmware - for the M-Audio/Midiman USB MIDI and Audio devices
• ql2100-firmware - for qlogic 2100 devices
• ql2200-firmware - for qlogic 2200 devices
• ql23xx-firmware - for qlogic 23xx devices
• ql2400-firmware - for qlogic 2400 devices
• ql2500-firmware - for qlogic 2500 devices
• rt61pci-firmware - for Ralink® RT2561/RT2661 A/B/G network adaptors
• rt73usb-firmware - for Ralink® RT2571W/RT2671 A/B/G network adaptors
• ueagle-atm4-firmware - for usb adsl modems based on Eagle IV chipset
• zd1211-firmware - for wireless devices based on zd1211 chipset

Tools for loading/extracting/dealing with firmware

• alsa-tools-firmware - tools for uploading firmware to some soundcards
• b43-fwcutter - firmware extraction tool for Broadcom wireless driver
• bcm43xx-fwcutter - firmware extraction tool for Broadcom wireless drive
• fxload - firmware download to EZ-USB devices

Firmware being packaged

• bluez-firmware - Bluetooth firmware distributed by the BlueZ project
• aic94xx-firmware - Adaptec SAS 44300, 48300, 58300 Sequencer Firmware for AIC94xx driver

Firmware currently missing from Fedora

Notice that this is just a list of firmware which we would like to see in Fedora, firmware in this list has NOT been checked yet for proper licensing.

Networking Devices

• 3Com Bluetooth Wireless PC Card 3CRWB6096
• Thomson SpeedTouch 330 USB
• sil (for prism and prism_pci)

Multimedia Devices

• AV7110 based DVB cards ( link )
• OREN or51211 and 51132 demodulators ( link )
• various USB TV devices ( link )
• R5U87x based webcams ( link )

Orphaned Packages

• isight-firmware-tools - Firmware extraction tools for Apple Built-in iSight camera.

Packagers/Reviewers/People interested

• HansdeGoede
• ArthurPemberton
• PeterLemenkov

Packaging guidelines

In addition to the standard Packaging:Guidelines, it is important to realise that firmware does not need to be under a free software / oss license. As long as it may be freely redistributed without restrictions, it may be packaged.

List of firmware which we can NOT package

• b43-firmware and b43legacy-firmware - Broadcom refuses to re-license them under redistributable license. Please, try b43-openfwwf first. Perhaps, you'll be fully satisfied with this drop-in replacement.
• Firmwares for usb adsl modems based on Eagle I, II and III chipsets - No response from vendor regarding redistribution status.

References

• Packaging:Guidelines#Legal