Process: binary blobs in Zephyr

[mbolivar-nordic]

This tracks ongoing discussions around the distribution or inclusion of binary blobs related to Zephyr development.

Current status (9 December 2021):

• The process WG has debated this at length and written a proposal describing the problem and a proposal for how blobs could be included more formally by the project: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1heqcv7dzGvM5rA9xpTMW3kyKJLpZsl2Gjsmr5eqBje8/edit (this a cleaner version of another document which contains an audit trail of discussions and their resolution.)
• pull request [DNM] TSC: documentation if binary blobs are forbidden #41044 for the zephyr documentation reflects a "no blobs allowed" policy
• The goal is to have the TSC consider these two alternatives and vote on them

[mbolivar-nordic]

Process WG:

• distributing binary blobs in the default distribution (YY path through the problem statement's decision diagram) is explicitly rejected due to lack of backers and doubtful acceptance by the board
• @mbolivar-nordic to provide a detailed proposal for what it would look like for blobs to be totally out of scope (N path)
• remaining WG time on this issue will be devoted to rejecting/accepting particular policies for mechanisms that users can use to fetch blobs (YN path)

The N and YN paths will be presented as a single up-or-down vote (to approve the YN path or reject it and therefore implicitly accept the N path) to the TSC.

[mbolivar-nordic]

Process WG:

• additional decisions were taken in the live document linked to in the issue description

[mbolivar-nordic]

WIP document with a more formal version of the proposal added here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1heqcv7dzGvM5rA9xpTMW3kyKJLpZsl2Gjsmr5eqBje8/edit#

This is per request from @nashif last week.

[mbolivar-nordic]

Process WG:

• No consensus on finding a maintainer before getting a vote, agree to continue discussion, but also involve Espressif and SiLabs with a view towards getting them involved
• Estimate 3 FTE months to design, get consensus, do initial implementation

[mbolivar-nordic]

Process WG:

• pending final review from @nashif on documentation requirements from zephyr and vendor, we are in agreement on the high level requirements
• following final review, @mbolivar-nordic to update the formal document and prep for presentation to TSC
• motion to vote at TSC expected after that

[marc-hb]

First commit adding a new west blob command: 336aa9d
First documentation commit 2c301fe