On Wednesday 22 October 2008 23:07:01 Marcos Guglielmetti wrote:
Package: madwifi-modules-2.6.21 Status: install ok installed Priority: optional Section: non-free/net Installed-Size: 776 Maintainer: Debian madwifi team < [email protected]> Architecture: i386 Source: madwifi (1:0.9.3-1) Version: 1:0.9.3-1+2.6.21-10.00.Custom Replaces: madwifi-ng-modules-2.6.21 Provides: madwifi-modules-2.6.21 Depends: madwifi-tools, linux-image-2.6.21 | kernel-image-2.6.21 Recommends: wireless-tools Description: modules for the Multiband Atheros Driver for WiFi (kernel 2.6.21) This package contains the set of loadable kernel modules for Atheros based WiFi chipsets. . This package contains the compiled kernel modules for 2.6.21 . If you have compiled your own kernel, you will most likely need to build your own madwifi-modules. The madwifi-source package has been provided for use with the Debian's module-assistant or kernel-package utilities to produce a version of madwifi-ng-module for your kernel.
The ath_hal module contains the Atheros Hardware Access Layer (HAL). This code manages much of the chip-specific operation of the driver. The HAL is provided in a binary-only form in order to comply with FCC regulations. In particular, a radio transmitter can only be operated at power levels and on frequency channels for which it is approved. The FCC requires that a software-defined radio cannot be configured by the user to operate outside the approved power levels and frequency channels. This makes it difficult to open-source code that enforces limits on the power levels, frequency channels and other parameters of the radio transmitter. See http://ftp.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Orders/2001/fcc01264.pdf for the specific FCC regulation. Because the module is provided in a binary-only form it is marked "Proprietary"; this means when you load it you will see messages that your system is now "tainted". -- Dock Sud BBS http://bbs.docksud.com.ar telnet://bbs.docksud.com.ar