Suggestion: improved printk message

Brian Candler b.candler at pobox.com
Sun Nov 24 09:44:17 UTC 2013


I would like to make a small suggestion. Would you consider changing the 
message

"Missing Free firmware"

to something more informative. I suggest:

"Loading of non-free firmware disabled in this kernel. For more 
information please see http://linux-libre.fsfla.org/"

I spent several hours debugging a problem with a yfmpci soundcard, for 
full details see
http://antix.freeforums.org/system-can-t-find-this-laptop-s-soundcard-t4675.html

I wasn't aware of the linux-libre kernel at the time, and it was only by 
modifying the userland helper and finding that the firmware filename had 
been replaced with the string "/*DEBLOBBED*/" that I was able to google 
for "deblobbed" and uncover what the problem was.

If there had been a more informative message I would have been able to 
diagnose the problem much more quickly. I think it the message needs to 
mention or link to linux-libre, and also make it clear that this kernel 
has *disabled* the loading of that particular piece of firmware - not 
that the firmware file is corrupted or installed in the wrong location 
(which is where debugging efforts are likely to be expended)

Thanks,

Brian.

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