The future of linux

[Derek Martin]

On Mon, 31 Jan 2000, Nick Oleksinski wrote:

> Hi:
> I think that the biggest hurdle that Linux has is support by the
> hardware vendors.  

That's a good point, and everyone can help make that happen.  When you
have a peice of hardware that doesn't work with Linux, write to the vendor
and tell them you want support.  They WILL listen, when enough people
complain.  They need to be made to see the market they are missing because
their products aren't supported.

> Case in point, my new Gateway uses a Promise Ultra-66 ATA hard drive
> controller.  RedHat 6.1 (kernel 2.2.12?) did not yet have support for
> this controller available.  A little later I found that SuSe Linux 6.3

I can't speak to that... I actually have one but I don't use it.  I just
bought a Tekram UW scsi card and IBM disk to match.

> does with kernel 2.2.13.  I also have issues with the SoundBlaster Live!
> sound card,

I have links for the SBLive if you need them, and the docs that come with
the drivers are good.  Still doesn't support the midi synth (unless that's
changed very recently) but you can get wav sound at least.  Which is all
I really care about, for the most part.

 DVD player, and 3Com modem.  The Windows '98 personality of

Your modem will probably never work.  It's almost assuredly a Winmodem
with proprietary drivers that only work on windows (at least, at the
moment).  There has been some talk about a project to write drivers for
them, but I didn't hear if it went anywhere.


-- 
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"    "Who watches the watchmen?" 
-Juvenal, Satires, VI, 347 

Derek D. Martin      |  Senior UNIX Systems/Network Administrator
Arris Interactive    |  A Nortel Company
derekm at mediaone.net  |  dmartin at ne.arris-i.com
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