Bug 2430592 - Review Request: gpib-firmware - Firmware required by some USB GPIB devices
Summary: Review Request: gpib-firmware - Firmware required by some USB GPIB devices
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: Package Review
Version: rawhide
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
unspecified
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Nobody's working on this, feel free to take it
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL: http://linux-gpib.sourceforge.io/
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks: FE-NEEDSPONSOR
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2026-01-17 15:27 UTC by Michael Katzmann
Modified: 2026-01-19 23:32 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed:
Type: ---
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description Michael Katzmann 2026-01-17 15:27:34 UTC
Spec URL: https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/vk2bea/GPIB-User/fedora-43-x86_64/10025879-gpib-firmware/
SRPM URL: https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/vk2bea/GPIB-User/fedora-43-x86_64/10025879-gpib-firmware/
Description: Firmware required by some USB GPIB devices 

As of kernel 6.19, the linux kernel will include GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) drivers.

gpib-firmware is required for some hardware that requires the loading of firmware. (some Agilent and National Instruments USB/GPIB controllers)

A request for packages that include the user portion of the linux gpib project to enable programs to access devices on the GPIB and to configure GPIB controllers has been created. https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2430590

This package is needed by some devices and is part of the GPIB system.

(I'm not sure if it's appropriate to create a separate request .. but here it is)

The GPIB is used to control electronic and scientific instruments and was originally created by Hewlett Packard as the HPIB in the early 1970's. The standard was formulated as IEEE 488.

(n.b. For several years I have provided RPM packages on COPR for the GPIB driver (using dkms) and the user libraries, language bindings and documentation)

References:
Linux GPIB project - https://linux-gpib.sourceforge.io/
 

Fedora Account System Username: vk2bea


These are first packages I have proposed for inclusion in Fedora, so I am looking for a sponsor (per the instructions)

Comment 1 Fedora Review Service 2026-01-18 03:01:42 UTC
Cannot find any valid SRPM URL for this ticket. Common causes are:

- You didn't specify `SRPM URL: ...` in the ticket description
  or any of your comments
- The URL schema isn't HTTP or HTTPS
- The SRPM package linked in your URL doesn't match the package name specified
  in the ticket summary


---
This comment was created by the fedora-review-service
https://github.com/FrostyX/fedora-review-service

If you want to trigger a new Copr build, add a comment containing new
Spec and SRPM URLs or [fedora-review-service-build] string.

Comment 3 Fedora Review Service 2026-01-18 03:10:51 UTC
Copr build:
https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/build/10032460
(succeeded)

Review template:
https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/@fedora-review/fedora-review-2430592-gpib-firmware/fedora-rawhide-x86_64/10032460-gpib-firmware/fedora-review/review.txt

Found issues:

- Not a valid SPDX expression 'Unknown'.
  Read more: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/SPDX_Licenses_Phase_1

Please know that there can be false-positives.

---
This comment was created by the fedora-review-service
https://github.com/FrostyX/fedora-review-service

If you want to trigger a new Copr build, add a comment containing new
Spec and SRPM URLs or [fedora-review-service-build] string.

Comment 4 Miroslav Suchý 2026-01-18 13:14:31 UTC
> License:        Unknown

You should identify the license. Please see https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/legal/license-field/

> udevadm control --reload > /dev/null 2>&1 || :

Should rather be:

if [ -S /run/udev/control ]; then
    udevadm control --reload
    udevadm trigger
fi

> %defattr(644,root,root,755)

This is the default. You can remove this line.

> shopt -s nullglob

This is very uncommon. And if I read the code correctly, it is not needed.

Comment 5 Michael Katzmann 2026-01-19 16:27:08 UTC
(In reply to Miroslav Suchý from comment #4)
> > License:        Unknown
> 
> You should identify the license. Please see
> https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/legal/license-field/

The scripts are GPL but the firmware hex/binary files are as provided by NI and HP/Keysight for the particular instrument (required for, and only used if you have the hardware).
I don't know how other firmware distributions on Linux handle this.



> 
> > udevadm control --reload > /dev/null 2>&1 || :
> 
> Should rather be:
> 
> if [ -S /run/udev/control ]; then
>     udevadm control --reload
>     udevadm trigger
> fi
> 

OK

> > %defattr(644,root,root,755)

OK

> 
> This is the default. You can remove this line.
> 
> > shopt -s nullglob
> 
> This is very uncommon. And if I read the code correctly, it is not needed.

Yes, it's needed otherwise errors will arrise in the install line.  Like the following demonstration:

  $ for adapter in agilent_82357a hp_82341 hp_82350a ni_gpib_usb_b ; do ls $adapter/{*.bin,*.hex}; done
  ls: cannot access 'agilent_82357a/*.bin': No such file or directory
   agilent_82357a/82357a_fw.hex   agilent_82357a/measat_releaseX1.8.hex
  ls: cannot access 'hp_82341/*.hex': No such file or directory
   hp_82341/hp_82341c_fw.bin   hp_82341/hp_82341d_fw.bin
  ls: cannot access 'hp_82350a/*.hex': No such file or directory
   hp_82350a/agilent_82350a.bin
  ls: cannot access 'ni_gpib_usb_b/*.bin': No such file or directory
   ni_gpib_usb_b/niusbb_firmware.hex   ni_gpib_usb_b/niusbb_loader.hex
  $

  $ shopt -s nullglob
  $ for adapter in agilent_82357a hp_82341 hp_82350a ni_gpib_usb_b ; do ls $adapter/{*.bin,*.hex}; done
  agilent_82357a/82357a_fw.hex  agilent_82357a/measat_releaseX1.8.hex
  hp_82341/hp_82341c_fw.bin  hp_82341/hp_82341d_fw.bin
  hp_82350a/agilent_82350a.bin
  ni_gpib_usb_b/niusbb_firmware.hex  ni_gpib_usb_b/niusbb_loader.hex
  $

Comment 6 Miroslav Suchý 2026-01-19 23:32:01 UTC
> I don't know how other firmware distributions on Linux handle this.

There MUST be provided under some statement. See examples here: https://gitlab.com/fedora/legal/fedora-license-data/-/blob/main/firmware.txt?ref_type=heads

And then the statement must pass this:
https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/legal/license-approval/#_license_requirements_for_firmware


> Yes, it's needed otherwise errors will arrise in the install line.  Like the following demonstration:

Hmm, ok.


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