-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Duncan wrote: > Beso <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> posted > [EMAIL PROTECTED], excerpted > below, on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:17:07 +0200: > >> you're wrong! the bcm4310 is supported and currently working fine with >> bcm43xx. >> you just have to [snip a whole series of steps, some of them "scary" > steps] > > OK, this is a bit of a rant, but anyway... > > I'm a pretty die-hard Linux supporter, I doubt anyone would argue that, > but the above is /certainly/ one reason Linux doesn't have a greater > share than it does. > > "Just" have to do, yeah, right. And for most people, they "just" have to > do a similarly daunting series of steps to honestly say they've climbed > Mt. Everest. There's no "just" about it. Sure, a newbie (or even an > "oldie" =8^) can be hand-held thru the various steps, one by one, but > it's not trivial by any stretch, even for the Gentoo target audience who > doesn't bat an eye at compiling their entire system, and they are > definitely not your "average Joe". >
This is Gentoo... not your "average Joe's" Linux distro... > Honestly, when one has to do all sorts of stuff including grabbing > software from multiple sites, excising a firmware blob from the middle of > something, and configuring by hand the system to use it, there's no way I > can see that fitting the description "supported and working fine". > Rather, it seems to me a more accurate claim would be that it "can be > made to work, provided one jumps thru a series of possibly scary hoops." > Sure, one can reassure the reader that it's not all that hard, provided > one is patient and can execute a set of instructions in given order, but > that doesn't change the fact that it's more "can be made to work" than > "working fine", or that there's more to it than the triviality a "just" > might imply. > You're right, we do have to run through hoops, because sadly, we can't just distribute the firmware blob, which isn't *our* fault, however it is a limitation that is fairly easily worked around. Yes, it is quite annoying at first, but it only has to be done one time. I wish it were a ton easier, as in, just compile the drivers and you are good to go, unfortunately, for a lot of wireless cards, it simply isn't so, and the issues are ranging from anywhere from total lack of support, to just mediocre support, to great support, but ancient and don't even support WEP. And one of the biggest reasons for this, is the FCC refusing to make a determination/statement about opensourcing drivers for wireless chipsets. > IMO, we don't help ourselves by pretending such problems don't exist, as > when people /do/ encounter issues, as they will (and MS isn't immune > either, people are just more familiar with the issues there and /used/ to > taking the machine to the experts for malware and bug extermination > periodically), it simply reinforces the stereotypes of Linux not being > ready for the normal computer user. > > </rant> > Actually... since MS Windows is closed source, they don't *have* to run into the same issues. Depending on where you live, these issues could be moot, but a lot of these chipset companies are here in the USA, and unfortunately, if they want to stay in business, they have to follow certain rules and guidelines, and bickering that Linux support isn't up to snuff with Windows isn't going to change anything but the size of my inbox. Please rant elsewhere. Dead cow... don't pile drive it. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGuOob1c+EtXTHkJcRAvEiAJ4/91xbzBgG5qbnkIoE1/aIPYYJ6wCfZMcO rDmRjzK45RUhcTEKREA+DF4= =9unb -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list
