3 ms·

I assume these packages/libs have been pulled from a laptop shipped by Dell? At a superficial glance, it looks like it's based on libfprint, which is LGPL lice

I assume these packages/libs have been pulled from a laptop shipped by Dell? At a superficial glance, it looks like it's based on libfprint, which is LGPL licensed. I wonder if you'd be able to ask Dell for the sources? https://github.com/tcsenpai/goodix-debian-linux-drivers-fingerprint-by-dell/tree/main/bare_so_files https://github.com/tcsenpai/goodix-debian-linux-drivers-fing... https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/libfprint/libfprint/-/blob/master/COPYING?ref_type=heads https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/libfprint/libfprint/-/blob/ma...

quocanh 2y ago
How does copyleft license work in this case? Aren't they legally required to open-source their sources and publish it publicly or can they hide that behind a request system?
- clcaev 2y ago
  Unlike the full GPL, the LGPL doesn't require applications of the library be licensed under the same. It would apply only to improvements to the library itself.
  - fweimer 2y ago
    If you ship the library, the requirements for the library itself are very similar to the GPL. The difference you describe mostly applies to system libraries (those libraries that are not distributed alongside applications).
- oaiey 2y ago
  IMHO a request system is sufficient. Remember GPL comes from a time where Internet was not granted and magazines with floppy disks were a thing.
- thegrim33 2y ago
  No, the main requirement is that they link to libfprint dynamically or provide object files such that effectively you can replace libfprint with a different version of libfprint of your choosing, but there's no requirement to open source the work that makes use of libfprint.
oaiey 2y ago
Goodix fingerprint is used in Framework Laptop. This might come from that corner.
- kelnos 2y ago
  The fingerprint sensors in the Framework laptops already have open source drivers. This is for the sensors used in some older but still recent laptops from other manufacturers. I have a Dell XPS 13 from 2018 with an unsupported Goodix fingerprint sensor; I expect this would work with that.
  - sharpshadow 2y ago
    Yes exactly it’s also the driver for my 2018 Dell XPS 15 and I think it was the last one missing for full linux support.
- tcsenpai 2y ago
  Actually, I have a Lenovo IdeaPad3 Slim and I had no idea of the Framework thing. Might be worth looking deeper for more devices support!
sp1rit 2y ago
No, this needs libfprint-tod[0], which is built do dlopen non-free reader libraries from manufacturers. [0]:https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/3v1n0/libfprint/ https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/3v1n0/libfprint/
tcsenpai 2y ago
Some packages were collected from a very painful night of research and gathering, with a good amount of filtering out for bad / incompatible modules. I don't even remember how I managed to find an obscure reddit post ( I think) with the other ones. I packaged the .deb manually ( If i recall correctly ) and mashed up a bunch of methods until things finally worked in a stable way. Unfortunately nobody ever replied me about the sources (no support whatsoever tbh). I own a Lenovo IdeaPad3 Slim which has one of the goodix fingerprint sensors and that's why I began this quest indeed
- vwoolf 2y ago
  Thanks for the effort.

quocanh 2y ago

How does copyleft license work in this case? Aren't they legally required to open-source their sources and publish it publicly or can they hide that behind a request system?

clcaev 2y ago
Unlike the full GPL, the LGPL doesn't require applications of the library be licensed under the same. It would apply only to improvements to the library itself.
- fweimer 2y ago
  If you ship the library, the requirements for the library itself are very similar to the GPL. The difference you describe mostly applies to system libraries (those libraries that are not distributed alongside applications).
oaiey 2y ago
IMHO a request system is sufficient. Remember GPL comes from a time where Internet was not granted and magazines with floppy disks were a thing.
thegrim33 2y ago
No, the main requirement is that they link to libfprint dynamically or provide object files such that effectively you can replace libfprint with a different version of libfprint of your choosing, but there's no requirement to open source the work that makes use of libfprint.

oaiey 2y ago

Goodix fingerprint is used in Framework Laptop. This might come from that corner.

kelnos 2y ago
The fingerprint sensors in the Framework laptops already have open source drivers. This is for the sensors used in some older but still recent laptops from other manufacturers. I have a Dell XPS 13 from 2018 with an unsupported Goodix fingerprint sensor; I expect this would work with that.
- sharpshadow 2y ago
  Yes exactly it’s also the driver for my 2018 Dell XPS 15 and I think it was the last one missing for full linux support.
tcsenpai 2y ago
Actually, I have a Lenovo IdeaPad3 Slim and I had no idea of the Framework thing. Might be worth looking deeper for more devices support!

sp1rit 2y ago

No, this needs libfprint-tod[0], which is built do dlopen non-free reader libraries from manufacturers. [0]:https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/3v1n0/libfprint/ https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/3v1n0/libfprint/

tcsenpai 2y ago

Some packages were collected from a very painful night of research and gathering, with a good amount of filtering out for bad / incompatible modules. I don't even remember how I managed to find an obscure reddit post ( I think) with the other ones. I packaged the .deb manually ( If i recall correctly ) and mashed up a bunch of methods until things finally worked in a stable way. Unfortunately nobody ever replied me about the sources (no support whatsoever tbh). I own a Lenovo IdeaPad3 Slim which has one of the goodix fingerprint sensors and that's why I began this quest indeed

vwoolf 2y ago
Thanks for the effort.