Linux Driver Project Status Report as of April 2008

[Pedro Macanas]

De: Robert M. Albrecht [mailto:romal at gmx.de]
Enviado el: mié 30/04/2008 8:33
Para: PEDRO MACANAS VALVERDE
CC: devel at linuxdriverproject.org
Asunto: Re: Linux Driver Project Status Report as of April 2008


Hi,

>> Include information about "works perfectly out of the box" would be
>>usefull  to know the hardware is linux compatible and how to solve an
>>installation problem in some distros.

>This information is in the database, kind of. If you send your
smolt-profile the tools display an url and a password. On this url you
can rate your hardware: works out of the box, needs a third party
driver, does not work, crashes the system, ...

>Im not sure, how this data is actually used.

Good. But, what about when your hardware is not autodetected by the system
?. 

>> This is fundamental. For this, we can use
> http://smolts.org/wiki/Category:Works_out_of_the_box in the wiki. And use
> documentation from other GFDL wikis and webpages, hardware with the Linux
> logo (Tux) and so on, to create and improve the Linux compatibility
database

>I don`t think a wiki-page is the right solution. It should be a database
with a webfrontend:

>I want to buy: "DropDown"       <Search>

>DropDown could include: printer, scanner, graphics card, laptop, ...

>Wiki-Pages should be used for additional informations on specific
devices for links to vendors, faq, ...

Good!. I agree. The wiki is a suplementary information site. If there is no
information about a device in the database, users can add it to the Wiki
(i.e. links to linuxdriverproject.org about creation of a new driver).

>> Mapping pci id to a physical device sitting in a box is an almost
> impossible task.  Same goes for USB devices (are you going to be able to
> tell the difference between two different versions of a device
> properly?)

>This could be done by wiki fulltext search functions.


I agree wiki can be a fundamental tool (using also categories as proposed,
for printer, scanner, all-in-one printer, graphics card, laptop, modem,
wireless card, router, ...)


>> In any case, we could link the hardware with the Kernel drivers (i.e. the
> driver for Huawei E220 can be used as an example). What is the best way to
> do it?

>It`s not only the kernel. I would even say, the kernel is the least
problem. Kernels drivers are quite complete and installation of modern
Linux distributions is very easy.

>The hard tasks are sitting on top the kernel: x.org, printers, bluetooth
cellphones, ...

>There could be a gui-tool like Windows hardware-wizard. If the basic
operating systems is up and running this tool assists the user in
configuring his additional devices.

This hardware-wizard could be HAL-based.

Some ideaa: clicking in an un-configured device, the hardware-wizard would
open a configuration tab (although I prefere zeroconf - transparent-
devices). And "Ethernet-over-USB" for my USB cellular modem (Huawei E220) to
work in a way similar to my old ADSL modem (it used DHCP).

This also can be changed in options: click in the device icon does a
connection (generally an Internet connnection).  Clicking again, disconnect
the device from the network.

Internet configuration sharing is also a good idea (i.e. share USB cellular
modem over a WiFi home network).

>cu romal

Good work!!. 

Pedro.