D&C GLug - Home Page

[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]

Re: [LUG] Farseer enterprises - continued

 

Grant Sewell wrote:

Eg: 6 days on and off trying to install a usb HP scanner under FC2. XP = 2 minutes (not even a reboot). PnP WORKS on Windows, and sometimes for Linux.

> I'm sorry, but I (for one) find this argument both tedious and > ineffectual.

You're right, but I find the same things being said and resaid in the pro-linux group and nothing changing. I match your tedium and raise frustration.

You say that PnP works on Windows? By any chance did you have to install the drivers *before* plugging in the HP Scanner? And where did those drivers come from? My guess is that the drivers that allows you to use yout USB Scanner under Windows XP sure as hell did not come with Windows XP. They came on a "drivers and documentation disc" that was sitting nicely in the box along side your Scanner and cables.

Actually, there *were* included with XP Professional. The scanner was second hand, no driver disk or manual. XP ships with a whole bunch of hardware drivers included.


Plug it in, Windows says "Installing your hardware". 2 minutes later "Your hardware is ready for use" and it was.

Obviously this is down to cooperation between Microsoft and major hardware manufacturers like HP, but to me, the end user, that doesn't matter. All I see is that one way works and the other does not.

As for the user, linux drivers tend to require a high level of skills to install, and much referring to howto's and documentation (that often is lacking). Sure, it's only a packaging problem and could be easily solved, but mostly it isn't.

I know it is a technicality, but it certainly is *NOT* a trivial one. Windows XP does not support more hardware than Linux. More hardware manufacturers support Windows XP.

Same result, sorry.


What Linux needs to do is talk to a specific hardware manufacturer and persuade them to develop linux stuff, then SUPPORT THAT COMPANY BEYOND ANY OTHER. Only that way will other companies see that it's worthwhile supporting linux.

Surely this approach would push Linux further into a niche market? It isn't the responsibility of the OS developers to support hardware developers/vendors, it is the responsibility of the hardware developers/vendors to support OSs. To clarify what I said above: they ain't gonna support Linux if they don't know you're using it. Tell THEM.

I'm TRYING to be positive and from a fairly neutral viewpoint (something not all on here can claim). Blaming hardware manufacturers for not supporting linux when you give them no benefit to doing so is pointless.


Criticising what's probably the world's leading manufacturer on printers/scanners (HP) for not doing something is going to be ignored. Big companies are arrogant, and rightly so - what they did to get where they are worked. What's a few voices against them? All multinationals have bands of people who hate them.

Please, suggest a better alternative.

Maybe some form of happy penguin sticker "Linux supported" on the packaging could help, licenced by Linux HQ. (Think little-red-tractor on food)
Already happens in some places. The "documentation" that came with my USB key (from LIDL) said it works under Linux 2.4 kernel series. As did my card reader. They didn't actually have the little Tux logo, but it was mentioned on the box. My printer (Samsung MLxxxx) *did* have a Tux logo. Bought from Asda.

Good stuff, and that is indeed excellent. (Although any USB support was prone to failure under FC2 and my SIS-based motherboard.)


But who says what level of compatibility a product must achieve before it gets a sticker? Ie, a All-in-one printer/scanner/copier might only have printer support under linux (real world examples of this), yet that is "compatible". To have some form of faith and identity, a scheme like this needs to be protected.

--
Simon Avery

--
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the
message body to unsubscribe.