# kernel without firmware

## odin_ago

Is it possible to install gentoo kernel so that:

1. The kernel sources do not contain any firmware (or at least any proprietary firmware)

2. The kernel (or modules) agrees to load (proprietary) firmware if I install it as a separate package

So I would not need to accept freedist license and allow binary code from any origin, but decide for every firmware package separately if I agree to accept the corresponding license and if I allow binary code from that exact company?

(If I say 

```
euse -E deblob
```

, modules reject non-free firmware installed separately, for example, then b43 does not work and makes strange things to the system, for example makes the screen black if I try to load or unload it, fixed by ctrl+alt+f1, then ctrl+alt+f7, also I cannot shutdown normally.)

UPD I would like to avoid any binary and non-free code in my kernel sources, not only in firmware.Last edited by odin_ago on Sun Sep 02, 2012 8:20 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## Jaglover

Not sure if I understand what you want, but you can exclude firmware from kernel image, there is an option for that. Furthermore you can build a required driver as module and put firmware into /lib/firmware and it will load from there when module loads.

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## odin_ago

Do you mean the option 

```
CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE
```

 in make menuconfig (in

Device Drivers --->

Generic Driver Options --->

External firmware blobs to build into the kernel binary

)? But first, it does not resolve licensing question and second, is it true that there is no binary code in gentoo-sources apart from firmware?

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## odin_ago

bump

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## friesia

Re-bump.

How can I check my current kernel config for non-free parts?

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