[ATrpms-devel] Re: at76c503a driver update

[David Rees]

Axel Thimm wrote, On 8/11/2004 3:23 AM:
> On Tue, Aug 10, 2004 at 09:43:09PM -0700, David Rees wrote:
> 
>>Hi there,
>>
>>Think we can get version 0.11 of the at76c503a into the next kernel
>>build?  The one in the current at kernels doesn't seem to like my
>>wireless USB card, but building version 0.11 makes it happy.
>>
>>http://at76c503a.berlios.de/
>>http://download.berlios.de/at76c503a/at76c503-0.11.tar.gz
> 
> Sound like a good idea. Why the next kernel build? It looks like it
> would build as an external module for the current kernels (including
> RH's), too.

Good point.  :-)  I agree that it would be nice to build it as an 
external module so that all platforms may benefit from the driver. 
Since it is already in the FC1 kernels, how do you handle the old 
drivers included with it?

> Could you check the licensing of the firmware, i.e. if it is allowed
> to distribute it via atrpms?

The firmware bits included with the driver has this notice:

Copyright (c) 2004-07-05 Atmel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved. 
   Redistribution and use of the microcode software ("Firmware") is 
permitted provided that the following conditions are met: 
  Firmware is redistributed in object code only, specifically, only in 
two file formats: (a) .h header file; or (b) .rom binary image file;

I'll let you interpret that... :-)

I should have double checked what version of the driver I'm using, too. 
  It appears that the Fedora Core 1 kernel already includes version 
0.11, but this version locks up my computer when initializing the 
wireless interface.  I am using the latest CVS snapshot which is working 
much better.

-Dave