45 Linux kernel 2.4.17 files:
1. include software in a binary form (although this software is not run
   on the same CPU as the linux kernel)
2. source code for this software is not known to be available for
   us (Debian) to distribute
3. were also present in similar or identical form in the Sarge release.
These files are listed in the appendix.

The presence of these files in Debian main violates Debian's Social Contract,
and is therefore considered a bug.  In some of these cases, the bug is made
more serious because the file's copyright license (explicit or implicit)
is the GNU GPL.  Without the source code, we have no way to provide it to
users on request, which is one condition of that license.

The Debian project partially recognized and acknowledged this problem
as part of the Sarge release: a GR passed sanctioning the release with
such sourceless software (which it categorized as "firmware").

With an etch release rapidly approaching, the kernel team does not have the
resources to deal with this many files.  Any attempts to remove the firmware
would likely lead to kernel functionality regression, which Debian truly
wishes to avoid.  The kernel team will, instead, focus on more fundamental
kernel infrastructure, including that needed for proper handling of non-free
firmware, and dealing with 13 new upstream sourceless-firmware-contaminated
files that were not part of the sarge release.

Debian therefore asks our users to indulge us by accepting another release
(Etch) for which a small number of Linux kernel source files (those listed
in the appendix) violate paragraph 2 of Debian's Social Contract, and (in
some cases) for which we can not fully comply with the terms of the GPL.

Appendix: 45 Linux kernel files from both sarge and and (proposed) etch
that are non-DFSG-free, because they include sourceless firmware

drivers/atm/atmsar11.data
drivers/atm/pca200e.data
drivers/atm/pca200e_ecd.data
drivers/atm/sba200e_ecd.data
drivers/char/drm/mga_ucode.h
drivers/char/drm/r128_cce.c
drivers/char/drm/radeon_cp.c
drivers/char/dsp56k.c
drivers/char/ip2/fip_firm.h
drivers/media/dvb/ttusb-budget/dvb-ttusb-dspbootcode.h
drivers/media/video/usbvideo/vicam.c
drivers/net/appletalk/cops_ffdrv.h
drivers/net/appletalk/cops_ltdrv.h
drivers/net/hamradio/yam1200.h
drivers/net/hamradio/yam9600.h
drivers/net/myri_code.h
drivers/net/pcmcia/ositech.h
drivers/net/tokenring/3c359_microcode.h
drivers/net/typhoon-firmware.h
drivers/scsi/advansys.c
drivers/scsi/ql12160_fw.h
drivers/scsi/ql1280_fw.h
drivers/scsi/qlogicpti_asm.c
drivers/usb/misc/emi26_fw.h
drivers/usb/net/kawethfw.h
drivers/usb/serial/io_fw_boot2.h
drivers/usb/serial/io_fw_boot.h
drivers/usb/serial/io_fw_down2.h
drivers/usb/serial/io_fw_down3.h
drivers/usb/serial/io_fw_down.h
drivers/usb/serial/whiteheat_fw.h
sound/isa/sb/sb16/sb16_csp_codecs.h
sound/isa/wavefront/wavefront_fx.c
sound/oss/maestro3.h
sound/oss/ymfpci_image.h
sound/oss/yss225.c
sound/pci/cs46xx/cs46xx_image.h
sound/pci/cs46xx/imgs/cwc4630.h
sound/pci/cs46xx/imgs/cwcasync.h
sound/pci/cs46xx/imgs/cwcdma.h
sound/pci/cs46xx/imgs/cwcemb80.h
sound/pci/cs46xx/imgs/cwcsnoop.h
sound/pci/korg1212/korg1212-firmware.h
sound/pci/maestro3.c
sound/pci/ymfpci/ymfpci_image.h