You don't understand how this works. There is already a driver/firmware
available under a non-free license available for Microsoft Windows, Mac, and
GNU/Linux (I'm assuming- we only care about free software operating systems
which means GNU/Linux at the moment).
“All” that is happening here is the non-free firmware for GNU/Linux is
being cleaned up under a non-disclosure agreement by a handful of developers
outside of Atheros (whom designed the chipset in use in these USB dongles).
The reason this is such a big deal is because of the bureaucracy involved in
getting access to the code/specs. It has taken several months just to get the
code under NDA so that it can be cleaned up. After which Atheros has agreed
to release the code under the GPL license. The reason outside developers are
doing it is because Atheros isn't willing to put the time, effort, or money
into it. Even after the code is available for cleaning up to outside
developers it is likely to take another several months before the USB adapter
we are going to release which uses this chipset and driver/firmware is
supported out of the box in Trisquel and/or other free distributions.
There is a 3 ½ month manufacturing time frame once we initiate the order. It
has taken 3-5 months to get samples though to test.
