GNU bug report logs - #79262
bochs 3.0 bios/i440fx.bin is non-free

Previous Next

To reply to this bug, email your comments to 79262 AT debbugs.gnu.org.
There is no need to reopen the bug first.

Toggle the display of automated, internal messages from the tracker.

Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "Haelwenn (lanodan) Monnier" <contact <at> hacktivis.me>
To: bug-guix <at> gnu.org
Subject: bochs 3.0 bios/i440fx.bin is non-free
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2025 23:10:06 +0200

Hi,

Not a Guix user but checked the packaging recipes and it doesn't
seems to be handled.

See:
- https://sources.debian.org/src/bochs/3.0%2Bdfsg-1/debian/changelog
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/961640

TL;DR:
- Bochs 3.0 ships with the bios/i440fx.bin blob
- i440fx BIOS is under a non-free license
- Even if it would be free, it requires NBASM which ships with no source code,
  and is also under a non-free license

Best regards

Message #10 received at 79262-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Efraim Flashner <efraim <at> flashner.co.il>
To: "Haelwenn (lanodan) Monnier" <contact <at> hacktivis.me>
Cc: 79262-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#79262: bochs 3.0 bios/i440fx.bin is non-free
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2025 19:16:09 +0300

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On Sun, Aug 17, 2025 at 11:10:06PM +0200, Haelwenn (lanodan) Monnier wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Not a Guix user but checked the packaging recipes and it doesn't
> seems to be handled.
> 
> See:
> - https://sources.debian.org/src/bochs/3.0%2Bdfsg-1/debian/changelog
> - https://bugs.gentoo.org/961640
> 
> TL;DR:
> - Bochs 3.0 ships with the bios/i440fx.bin blob
> - i440fx BIOS is under a non-free license
> - Even if it would be free, it requires NBASM which ships with no source code,
>   and is also under a non-free license
> 

Thanks! This is now fixed in Guix. I've opened a bug report on codeberg
under guix/guix to track the other firmware included.

-- 
Efraim Flashner   <efraim <at> flashner.co.il>   אפרים פלשנר
GPG key = A28B F40C 3E55 1372 662D  14F7 41AA E7DC CA3D 8351
Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed on emails sent or received unencrypted

[signature.asc (application/pgp-signature, inline)]

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.