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Difference between firmware-linux and firmware-linux-nonfree in Debian? (self.linuxquestions)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Veraxis to c/[email protected]

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I have a new install of Debian 12 Bookworm, and I have added the nonfree firmware sources to my sources list.

However, when I run apt search firmware-linux I see three options

firmware-linux

firmware-linux-free [installed, automatic]

firmware-linux-nonfree

I would like to use nonfree firmware, but I am confused by that first option. what does firmware-linux include or not include that is different from firmware-linux-nonfree? Which should I install?

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[–] Hawke 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

packages.debian.org

“Binary firmware for various drivers in the Linux kernel (metapackage)

This package depends on both free and non-free firmware which may be used with drivers in the Linux kernel.”

So it’s a metapackage. That means it’s an empty package that exists only so that other packages can say “I need to have linux firmware, but I don’t care which one”, and as long as one of the other two are installed those packages will be satisfied.

[–] Veraxis 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Okay, this makes sense. So it might need to be installed as a dependency for something else?

[–] Hawke 2 points 1 year ago

It wouldn’t be needed unless something else depends on it.