Messages in this thread | | | Date | Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:02:35 +0200 | From | Gabor Gombas <> | Subject | Re: [GIT *] Allow request_firmware() to be satisfied from in-kernel, use it in more drivers. |
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On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 02:55:32AM +0200, Sven-Haegar Koch wrote:
> Something from the non-development world: > > At least the initramfs-tools (which contains mkinitrd) of Debian Etch do > not do this (the current testing/development version Lenny does) - no > firmware support in the initrd at all - and not needed for booting until > now. > (It has /lib/firmware support after the initrd for the not-so-important > stuff like usb/sound/video/wireless) > > Yes, it may be nearly ancient by now, but for servers it contains all we > need, and most certainly would not want to use something that changes and > needs checking/hand-fixing every month - I expect this version to be still > in use a year from now, then just gradually being updated to the next > debian version. > > Currently we use 2.6.24, and I expect to use some newer kernel to support > newer replacement hardware before all installs are upgraded. So having the > firmware-inside-module support would be a help for us when modules are > starting to be needed for disk or network access, keeping from the need to > try backporting huge initrd/make-kpkg changes.
You can easyly install initramfs-tools from lenny on an etch box. It only depends on a newer klibc, so it won't disturb any other services.
Btw., the Debian-provided 2.6.25 kernel already lacks the firmware for some popular modules (like bnx2). So if you're using Debian, you as a sysadmin already have to handle the "firmware is in a separate package" issue.
Gabor
-- --------------------------------------------------------- MTA SZTAKI Computer and Automation Research Institute Hungarian Academy of Sciences ---------------------------------------------------------
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