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}}</ref> The term ''[[Binary large object|blob]]'' was first used in [[database management system]]s to describe a collection of [[binary data]] stored as a single entity.
When [[computer hardware]] vendors provide complete technical documentation for their products, operating system developers are able to write hardware device drivers to be included in the operating system kernels. However, some vendors, such as [[Nvidia#Open-source software support|Nvidia]], do not provide complete documentation for some of their products and instead provide binary-only drivers. This practice is most common for [[Graphics processing unit|accelerated graphics]] drivers, [[Wireless network interface controller|wireless networking device]]s, and hardware [[Disk array controller|RAID controllers]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://packages.debian.org/source/sid/firmware-nonfree | title = Debian packages built from the source package 'firmware-nonfree' - Binary firmware for various drivers in the Linux kernel | year = 2010 | access-date = 2010-03-25}}</ref> Most notably,
|author= Constantine A. Murenin |date= 2006-12-10
|url= https://www.linux.org.ru/news/hardware/1690470
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[[File:Linux AMD graphics stack.svg|thumb|300px| The proprietary Linux graphic driver, {{Mono|[[AMD Catalyst|libGL-fglrx-glx]]}}, will share the same [[Direct Rendering Manager|DRM]] infrastructure with [[Mesa 3D]]. As there is no stable in-kernel [[Application binary interface|ABI]], AMD had to constantly adapt the former binary blob used by Catalyst.]]
In the [[Linux kernel]] development community, [[Linus Torvalds]] has made strong statements on the issue of binary-only modules, asserting: "I ''refuse'' to even consider tying my hands over some binary-only module", and continuing: "I want people to know that when they use binary-only modules, it's THEIR problem."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lwn.net/1999/0211/a/lt-binary.html|title=a/lt-binary|work=lwn.net}}</ref> In 2008, 176 Linux kernel developers signed a ''Position Statement on Linux Kernel Modules'' that stated "We, the undersigned Linux kernel developers, consider any closed-source Linux kernel module or driver to be harmful and undesirable... We have repeatedly found them to be detrimental to Linux users, businesses, and the greater Linux ecosystem."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/287056/|title=A position statement on Linux Kernel Modules|date=June 2008|author=Greg Kroah-Hartman|author-link=Greg Kroah-Hartman|publisher=[[The Linux Foundation]]}}</ref> The Linux kernel maintainer [[Greg Kroah-Hartman]] has stated that it is illegal to redistribute closed source modules for the [[GNU General Public License|GNU General Public License-licensed]] Linux kernel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/ols_2006_keynote.html|author=Greg Kroah-Hartman|author-link=Greg Kroah-Hartman|publisher=[[Linux Symposium]]|title=Myths, Lies, and Truths about the Linux kernel|year=2006}}</ref>
However, the Linux kernel contains closed-source firmware required by various device drivers.{{r|gnu/free-sys-d-g--nonfree-fw|q1=Nonfree Firmware|gnu/common-d}}
Most of the drivers for [[mobile device]]s running the [[Android (operating system)|Android operating system]] are shipped in binary and are linked against a specific version of the Linux kernel. This makes it very hard to upgrade a kernel version because it may require [[reverse engineering]], reimplementing the proprietary device drivers as free software, creating and debugging wrappers, [[binary patch]]ing, or a combination of these steps, all of which implies that legacy devices will never get the latest Android version.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
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== Device firmware ==
{{main|Firmware|Microcode}}
[[Firmware]] is the software required by the onboard [[microcontroller]]s that
== BIOS and UEFI==
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[[Category:Free software culture and documents]]
[[Category:Pejorative terms related to technology]]
[[Category:Firmware]]
[[Category:Device drivers]]
[[Category:Booting]]
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