Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 187433
Review Request: acx-kmod - Open ACX100/ACX111 wireless NIC driver
Last modified: 2007-11-30 17:11:29 EST
Spec Name or Url: http://rpm.greysector.net/extras/acx-kmod.spec SRPM Name or Url: http://rpm.greysector.net/extras/acx-kmod-0.3.35-0.2.20060215.2.6.15_1.1833_FC4.src.rpm Description: ACX100 is an open source driver for ACX100/ACX111 WiFi chipsets.
This driver doesn't work without some firmware files, so I'm not 100% sure it really belongs into Extras. I've also built acx-kmod and acx-kmod-common packages, which are available here : http://svn.rpmforge.net/svn/trunk/rpms/acx-kmod/ http://svn.rpmforge.net/svn/trunk/rpms/acx-kmod-common/ As well as two packages for the main firmwares. Sure, ipw2xxx modules are agood example of free drivers that require a non-included firmware to work, but since they're built from the main kernel, I myself consider it somewhat different.
bcm43xx is another example which requires firmware files. If that's good enough an arrangement for the main kernel package, I don't see why it wouldn't be for external modules per se.
Ideally, the -common package should contain the firmwares IMHO. But since it's questionable whether it's distributable, this is what we're stuck with.
Note that D-Link Deutschland GmbH has apparently given unlimited distribution rights to their ACX1xx firmware. This would seem to meet the Fedora binary firmware packaging guidelines. http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2005/01/msg00989.html http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging/Guidelines#head-adf31c383612aac313719f7b4f8167b7dcf245d2 With the small snag that I can't figure out exactly what firmware this covers, or the full original message that gives the permission. I guess this means you can just download the windows drivers from D-Link and pull the firmware files out. As far as what firmware you need for which chip: http://acx100.sourceforge.net/wiki/Firmware
The PCMCIA port on my laptop has died, I have no means to test this anymore, so I'm withdrawing this.