[nmglug] Intel WIFI module in Leap15

[jason schaefer]

Hey Leo

I'm glad you made it out!


> Just as an FYI, after last night's wifi issue with the intel wifi on
> Debian, I decided to look at my leap15 to see if iwlwifi driver comes
> be default with leap and I found that it does:

Many distros package and ship these non-free binary blogs that are
required to use proprietary hardware. In fact, stock Linux has many
binary blobs in it as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux-libre


>
> lakota:~ # modinfo iwlwifi
> filename:       /lib/modules/4.12.14-lp150.12.73-
> default/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwlwifi.ko
> license:        GPL
> author:         Copyright(c) 2003- 2015 Intel Corporation <linuxwifi at in
> tel.com>
> description:    Intel(R) Wireless WiFi driver for Linux
> ...

What you have found is the iwlwifi.ko kernel module and that is free
software (gpl). But this module needs the non free firmware to be loaded
in order to actually use this hardware.


>
> In leap, it would have detected the intel wireless card and
> automatically loaded the iwlwifi driver/module and worked without
> having to enable the non-free repo for Debian.
>
> I double checked my raspberry pi (which is Debian based) and the
> wireless driver does not come by default:
> ls /lib/modules/4.19.57-v7l+/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/
> ath  atmel  broadcom  intersil  mac80211_hwsim.ko  marvell  mediatek  r
> alink  realtek  rndis_wlan.ko  zydas
> Which is why it's required to enable the non-free repo.
>
> Anyway, just thought I would share this info in case anyone finds it
> useful.

I know its convenient to have your hardware just work but by including
these non-free bits automatically, users have no idea that they are
using proprietary hardware and closed source software. If everything
just works then users will continue buying non-free hardware and the
problem never gets solved.
https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/priority-projects/hardware-firmware-drivers

I think Debian has a decent approach to this problem. It doesn't ship
non-free but does provide a non-free repo to install it. This way you
realize that you have an intel wireless card thats not free and you have
a chance to install an Atheros card instead, for example.

Take a look at this https://www.gnu.org/distros/common-distros.en.html

Hope to see you again next meeting!

Jason