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

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From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: Efraim Flashner <efraim <at> flashner.co.il>
Cc: tracker <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#79262: closed (bochs 3.0 bios/i440fx.bin is non-free)
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:17:02 +0000

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Your message dated Fri, 22 Aug 2025 19:16:09 +0300
with message-id <aKiXycJQVhDsbv_G <at> X1>
and subject line Re: bug#79262: bochs 3.0 bios/i440fx.bin is non-free
has caused the debbugs.gnu.org bug report #79262,
regarding bochs 3.0 bios/i440fx.bin is non-free
to be marked as done.

(If you believe you have received this mail in error, please contact
help-debbugs <at> gnu.org.)


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Contact help-debbugs <at> gnu.org with problems

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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

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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

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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
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