lkml.org 
[lkml]   [2010]   [Nov]   [19]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [wrap][no wrap]   [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
    /
    From
    Date
    SubjectRe-distributable 88w8335 Firmware?
    Hi all,

    Once again, someone is trying to build a working driver for the Marvel
    88w8335 chipset, and is once again hampered by a lack of
    re-distributable or official firmware. (See:
    http://marc.info/?l=linux-wireless&m=128923265210125&w=2 )

    As such, on Denis's behalf, I'm asking if anyone knows of anyone at
    Marvel that they can poke in an attempt to get a re-distributable
    firmware for this chipset released for eventual inclusion into
    linux-firmware.

    I believe that this chipset is pretty much obsolete (being only an
    802.11g part) so I cannot see any reasonable reason not to release the
    firmware, especially given that newer chipsets ("TopDog" - see the
    mwl8k driver) have had re-distributable firmware released along with
    open source Linux drivers for some time now.

    If we cannot obtain proper firmware files, the very least Marvel could
    do would be to bless the *BSD Malo driver's firmware files (obtainable
    here: http://www.nazgul.ch/malo/malo-firmware-1.4.tgz - see
    http://www.unix.com/man-page/freebsd/4/MALO/ for more info) with a
    proper re-distributable license.

    In terms of the actual chipsets in question, I'm referring to the
    88w8335, 88w8338, and 88w8385 chipsets. I believe Marvel refers to
    them as being part of the "Libertas" family of chipsets - however they
    don't have the fancy mesh stuff that the chips the libertas driver
    talks to have - and are also PCI.

    A previous effort in 2008 is viewable here:
    http://lwn.net/Articles/275719/ and searching for "mrv8k" reveals the
    remnants of that effort which mostly happened before my involvement in
    this.

    A proper "official" set of firmware files would smooth one of the
    bumps in getting proper support for this driver into the Linux Kernel.
    (as well as helping the BSD folks with the Malo driver) Marvel has
    shown that they are willing to provide some support for the open
    source community with the TopDog driver, as well as the driver for the
    SAS chipset. Hopefully they can continue their support with what would
    be a small gesture in support of our efforts to write a driver for
    this old chipset.

    Thanks,

    --

    Julian Calaby

    Email: julian.calaby@gmail.com
    Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/julian.calaby/
    .Plan: http://sites.google.com/site/juliancalaby/


    \
     
     \ /
      Last update: 2010-11-20 01:31    [W:6.299 / U:0.012 seconds]
    ©2003-2020 Jasper Spaans|hosted at Digital Ocean and TransIP|Read the blog|Advertise on this site