Linux (Kernel) Myths

http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/ols_2006_keynote.html

 

Seems more like Propaganda to me.

Linux DOES lacks device support, or really needs to support more hardware.
Things are really getting better tho.

Linux supports more device out the box? Are you kidding me.


I do Agree with almost the rest of the page tho, at least the parts that I'm already informed in.

Can't wait to see the future in Linux.

 

nice article!

 

Linux does support more hardware, out of the box. For example, I get video drivers, sound drivers, modem, ethernet, wireless drivers automatically installed when I install Linux. In windows I have to go and look for them separately after I install.

When hardware vendors look and see how much better they could make their products by supporting Linux, then Linux will really shine.

BTW - I'm currently writing up an article about switching from Linux to Windows. We'll see how I go.

 

OK, Why is it that so many people are having problems with drivers and such on linux?

Ubuntu is the first one I found that detects my wireless (built in). but I've yet to find a card reader driver.

AS, opposed to Windows detectng the basic stuff right out the box.



I do admit that I didn't need to manually load any touch-pad or cam drivers as I would doing a clean windows OEM install.

Windows also has more choices for cameras at the moment.



Can you include a Comparison of drivers install ease in your article?

 

How many illegal (closed source) drivers are we running?

Code:

dmesg|grep -i taint

On my Fujitsu P7010D, I have one for the Aethos wifi adapter:

Code:

ath_hal: module license 'Proprietary' taints kernel.

As far as I see, if you have either ATI or Nvidia graphics, or Wifi then you are going to be running illegal drivers. Linux may have more drivers out of the box, but that misses the point when key device drivers such as 3D graphics or Wifi are proprietary.

 

timberwolf: They aren't illegal. They're proprietary. There's nothing illegal about running proprietary drivers on linux. It's just kinda against the spirit of the GPL is all.

And secondly, LIVEFRMNYC, Linux runs more hardware in that it supports many older devices that are just totally ignored in Windows. You can't find Windows 2000 or XP drivers for my scanner at home, but it works perfectly well in Linux.

Also, I've found that the card reader "drivers" are pretty much unnecessary. Windows makes 4 empty drives for my card reader when I plug it in... I have to guess as to which drive it thinks my camera media is in. Linux? I plug the reader in, plug the card in, and the card shows up on the desktop as a removable USB drive. No guessing, nothing, it just works. I'd guess that it has to do with non-standard hardware for your card reader, basically. Not running on the USB bus or whatnot.

Linux also detects my display as 1200x800 out of the box. Windows insists it should be 800x600 or 1024x768 until I install the NVIDIA drivers.

The point is that there's a difference between Linux and Windows. If you keep using Windows as a measuring stick, Linux will NEVER be or work just like Windows. But I consider Windows severely deficient in it's lack of a useful shell out of the box, it's limited terminal and remote access abilities, lack of included servers and such in all but the most expensive of versions. It's all in your point of view and what you want to do, as well as how much control over your computer you want to give to a corporation that quite wantonly hates you.

 

Linux has come a long way. It actually does install much easier out of the box, and more is supported. For instance, the only thing I have to install in Linux is graphics drivers. I don't even worry about this on my C640 because it's kind of pointless... ATi driver support sucks on Linux, and it's still a 4 generation old 32MB integrated card. It's not like I'm gonna be playing Doom 3 on it or anything. When I plug in my printer... it works. Immediately. Windows? I have to spend the next hour downloading and installing drivers from HP, then removing all the extra crap they insist on installing along with it. Screen res works immediately, unlike in Windows where I have to make sure I have my graphics drivers on hand because otherwise I'm stuck at 1024x768. This is not to mention wireless card, touchpad, or media reader. I like how Windows can't even tell you what it's missing either; it just says "System Base Device did not install." Somehow I'm supposed to realize that that means my SD card reader won't work... mkay.

So far, the only real problem I have with Linux anymore is software support. Finding common applications to replace common Windows apps is usually fairly simple (though specialized apps are a completely different story), but getting them to install is a whole other discussion. Especially when Ubuntu updated my kernel but for some reason decided not to update my header files, so some of my applications quit working and I had no idea why. Then, others I tried to install wouldn't install. It took me two days to figure that one out. And then, getting RealPlayer 10 to install was just stupid... not hard, but stupid. And even now, it still doesn't work correctly. But, this is due more to the software vendors, and not really the Linux kernel itself.

 

According to Greg Kroah-Hartman's slide, "Closed source Linux modules are illegal.".

 

I know what he said, timberwolf. They're not illegal to have, though. They're illegal to distribute with the kernel. Two completely different concepts. If I download the nvidia driver, compile it and put it in my kernel, it's all well within the law and the contract (GPL). But Ubuntu can't ship it to me pre-compiled.

It's semantics, but important.

 

Ah, okay, Pitabred, I see the difference now, I don't like the ethical dilema that puts me in though.

I only use linux on my laptop, and it frustrates me that I can't use all open source with it. Earlier this year, I built a new desktop to replace my 8 year old PC, I was dismayed to discover that 3D graphics cards were available from only two manufacturers and both only had proprietary drivers.

 

Good stuff in explaining.

Do you guys think some Hardware/drivers are more favored? Like I notice there is way more support for Nvidia cards.

 

That used to be the case, but now ATI is updating linux drivers every month
Linux may be becoming more commonplace - skype has a linux version, google earth has a linux version....

 

Yea, I already got skype and google earth, works flawlessly on Linux

Unlike IE6 which works like crap on Linux, I only downloaded IE6 cus I think IE has the best Advance Cookie control. I always choose Prompt site cookies & Block non-site cookies. FF, Mozilla and the other browsers on my Linux don't offer cooke control in that specific way.

Yup, I just loaded update for my ATI driver a couple days ago. But I still can't find decent instructions for XGL under ATI. The instructions for Nvidia are crystal clear.

 

What distro are you running again? I found I had very little trouble with my ATi and Xgl under Ubuntu. Just searched wiki.ubuntu.com and copied and pasted the commands.

I've found that ATi is catching up to nVidia in terms of their drivers. Still not as good, but have been improving at a faster rate. I've now found that installing one or the other is about the same in terms of difficulty. But if Dell had offered a 7400Go in my laptop, I would have bought it.