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According to GNU, there are nonfree binary blobs in the Ubuntu kernel, presumably these are in linux-firmware (in main) or linux-image-generic (also in main)? If these blobs are non-free, whey are they included in main which only free software is allowed in?

I note that the Linux kernel is licensed under the GPL, how is this possible if the binary blobs included are not free software, how are they redistributable?

I came across this question whilst trying to remove a [citation needed] tag on Wikipedia.

Ads20000
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    https://askubuntu.com/questions/387551/does-ubuntu-contain-non-free-kernel-blobs-and-other-non-free-system-components – Rinzwind May 31 '18 at 10:52
  • You may be interested in https://www.fsfla.org/ikiwiki/selibre/linux-libre/ which leads to http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html and then http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html . Trisquel is ubuntu based https://trisquel.info/ and Parabola is based on arch linux - https://www.parabola.nu/ . Many of the other distros are not as well maintained. You can get the libre kernel from here - http://linux-libre.fsfla.org/pub/linux-libre/releases/ – Panther May 31 '18 at 15:28
  • @Rinzwind My question is more specifically why Linux is in main if it is not actually free software and/or how Linux can be GPL if it includes nonfree software. – Ads20000 Jun 01 '18 at 10:25

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I suspect you're talking about this part:

Free software includes software that has met the Ubuntu licensing requirements,[53] which roughly correspond to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Exceptions, however, include firmware and fonts, in the Main category, because although they are not allowed to be modified, their distribution is otherwise unencumbered. [citation needed]

And the relevant part about firmware from the the webpage referenced there is:

Documentation, firmware and drivers

Ubuntu contains licensed and copyrighted works that are not application software. For example, the default Ubuntu installation includes documentation, images, sounds, video clips and firmware. The Ubuntu community will make decisions on the inclusion of these works on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that these works do not restrict our ability to make Ubuntu available free of charge, and that you can continue to redistribute Ubuntu.

And a little above that, emphasis mine:

Ubuntu 'main' component licence policy

All application software included in the Ubuntu main component:

  • Must include source code. The main component has a strict and non-negotiable requirement that application software included in it must come with full source code.

By considering "firmware" as not "application software", they have relaxed the requirement of having their source code be available and modifiable, allowing them to be in main.

At this point you'd probably need a couple of countries' worth of lawyers, a few dozen courts and appeals, and a high noon to decide the validity of this, but that's not something to be settled here on Ask Ubuntu.

muru
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  • @ThomasWard I'm reasonably certain that's either main or restricted. For example, bcmwl-kernel-source is in the restricted section and has been on images for years now. – muru May 31 '18 at 13:58
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    Basically, in a nut shell, ubuntu / debian, and in fact most distors, make exceptions for firmware considering it part of the hardware. From https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/Firmware "In fact, in almost all cases firmware is treated like hardware in that it's a black box; there's no accompanying source code that is freely distributed with it." and from https://wiki.debian.org/KernelFirmwareLicensing "There are many cases that look suspiciously like the firmware image was grabbed without permission, but we don't try to categorize and second-guess such cases here." – Panther May 31 '18 at 15:44