Re: [FYI] Several firmware files removed from linux-firmware.git (affects multiple drivers)

[Mario Limonciello]

On 6/10/26 03:47, Xose Vazquez Perez wrote:
> Hi,
>
> In commit 1e6faaf837aea079582214c9c1382e5476175576 [1] of the
> linux-firmware.git repo, the following files were removed due
> to unknown licenses:
>
> acenic/tg1.bin
> acenic/tg2.bin
> emi62/bitstream.fw
> emi62/loader.fw
> emi62/midi.fw
> emi62/spdif.fw
> ess/maestro3_assp_kernel.fw
> ess/maestro3_assp_minisrc.fw
> korg/k1212.dsp
> lgs8g75.fw
> mts_mt9234mu.fw
> mts_mt9234zba.fw
> myricom/lanai.bin
> qlogic/isp1000.bin
> sun/cassini.bin
> ttusb-budget/dspbootcode.bin
> vicam/firmware.fw
> yam/1200.bin
> yam/9600.bin
> yamaha/ds1_ctrl.fw
> yamaha/ds1_dsp.fw
> yamaha/ds1e_ctrl.fw
>
>
> This affects, at least, the following drivers:
>
> drivers/media/dvb-frontends/lgs8gxx.c:#define LGS8GXX_FIRMWARE "lgs8g75.fw"
> drivers/media/usb/gspca/vicam.c:#define VICAM_FIRMWARE "vicam/firmware.fw"
> drivers/media/usb/gspca/vicam.c:                pr_err("Failed to load 
> \"vicam/firmware.fw\": %d\n", ret);
> drivers/media/usb/ttusb-budget/dvb-ttusb-budget.c:      err = 
> request_firmware(&fw, "ttusb-budget/dspbootcode.bin",
> drivers/media/usb/ttusb-budget/dvb-ttusb- 
> budget.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("ttusb-budget/dspbootcode.bin");
> drivers/net/ethernet/sun/cassini.c:     const char fw_name[] = "sun/ 
> cassini.bin";
> drivers/net/ethernet/sun/cassini.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("sun/cassini.bin");
> drivers/scsi/qlogicpti.c:       const char fwname[] = "qlogic/isp1000.bin";
> drivers/scsi/qlogicpti.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("qlogic/isp1000.bin");
> drivers/usb/misc/emi62.c:#define FIRMWARE_FW "emi62/midi.fw"
> drivers/usb/misc/emi62.c:#define FIRMWARE_FW "emi62/spdif.fw"
> drivers/usb/misc/emi62.c:       err = 
> request_ihex_firmware(&bitstream_fw, "emi62/bitstream.fw",
> drivers/usb/misc/emi62.c:       err = request_ihex_firmware(&loader_fw, 
> "emi62/loader.fw", &dev->dev);
> drivers/usb/misc/emi62.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("emi62/bitstream.fw");
> drivers/usb/misc/emi62.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("emi62/loader.fw");
> drivers/usb/serial/ti_usb_3410_5052.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("mts_mt9234mu.fw");
> drivers/usb/serial/ti_usb_3410_5052.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("mts_mt9234zba.fw");
> drivers/usb/serial/ti_usb_3410_5052.c:                          
> strscpy(buf, "mts_mt9234mu.fw");
> drivers/usb/serial/ti_usb_3410_5052.c:                          
> strscpy(buf, "mts_mt9234zba.fw");
> drivers/usb/serial/ti_usb_3410_5052.c:                          
> strscpy(buf, "mts_mt9234zba.fw");
> sound/pci/korg1212/korg1212.c:  err = request_firmware(&dsp_code, "korg/ 
> k1212.dsp", &pci->dev);
> sound/pci/korg1212/korg1212.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("korg/k1212.dsp");
> sound/pci/maestro3.c:                          "ess/ 
> maestro3_assp_kernel.fw", &pci->dev);
> sound/pci/maestro3.c:                          "ess/ 
> maestro3_assp_minisrc.fw", &pci->dev);
> sound/pci/maestro3.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("ess/maestro3_assp_kernel.fw");
> sound/pci/maestro3.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("ess/maestro3_assp_minisrc.fw");
> sound/pci/ymfpci/ymfpci_main.c: err = request_firmware(&chip- 
>  >dsp_microcode, "yamaha/ds1_dsp.fw",
> sound/pci/ymfpci/ymfpci_main.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("yamaha/ds1_ctrl.fw");
> sound/pci/ymfpci/ymfpci_main.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("yamaha/ds1_dsp.fw");
> sound/pci/ymfpci/ymfpci_main.c:MODULE_FIRMWARE("yamaha/ds1e_ctrl.fw");
> sound/pci/ymfpci/ymfpci_main.c: name = is_1e ? "yamaha/ds1e_ctrl.fw" : 
> "yamaha/ds1_ctrl.fw";
> sound/pci/ymfpci/ymfpci_main.c: name = is_1e ? "yamaha/ds1e_ctrl.fw" : 
> "yamaha/ds1_ctrl.fw";
>
>
> [1] https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux- 
> firmware.git/commit/?id=1e6faaf837aea079582214c9c1382e5476175576

Yes; I know it affects drivers, and thanks for notifying the susbystem 
maintainers.

We shouldn't have been redistributing binaries without a LICENSE from 
the authors indicating we had permission to do so in the first place.

Hopefully this change will prompt the authors to clarify licensing and 
we can restore binaries that we are legally allowed to redistribute.