Wireless cards

[John Summerfied]

Mike McCarty wrote:
> John Summerfied wrote:
> 
>> Justin Willmert wrote:
>>
>>>> I just found this list:
>>>> http://www.linuxcompatible.org/compatibility.html
>>>> not FC4 specific but it's a place to start.
>>>>
>>>>  
>>>>
>>> Try http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/. It provides a kernel module 
>>> so you can load windows drivers. It's how I got my wireless lan card 
>>> to work.
>>>
>>
>> Please, don't buy a card based on its working with ndiswrapper. 
>> Instead, reward those vendors who help us by providing or helping with 
>> Linux support.
>>
>> A Windows driver could potentially do Bad Things to your system.
>>
> A Linux driver could potentially do Bad Things to your system. So?

If you have a linux driver, you (probably) have the source and can fix 
it, hire someone to fix it etc etc just as with any other Linux software.



> IMO, the fewer fingers in the pie, generally, the better. Making drivers
> from one OS try to run on another does not sound like a good idea to me.
> Whether they be Windows or Linux or whatever is irrelevant.
> 
>> What do you do if the Windows driver's broken? What do you suppose the 
>> vendor will do? Laugh?
>>
> In my experience, they fix it, and offer upgrades by free download from 
> their
If it doesn't work under Linux? you gotta be joking.

> web pages. What happens if a Linux driver is broken? "Well, you have the
> source. Fix it yourself!"

If it's a part of RHEL or FC< report it in RH's bugzilla. It will get 
attention.

Many times I've approached authors of OSS and almost without exception 
they've been anxious to help iron out the bugs.

I've never had to pay to report a problem wither.

> 
> I subscribed to this mail echo in hopes of getting useful information 
> about how
> to make my machine run a little better with Linux. I didn't expect to 
> see a lot
> of moaning about how vendors don't spend oodles of money developing
> stuff for their products so they will run with a less-used operating 
> system.

They make their choices, users make their own. Prudent users ask for and 
listen to advice about what works.
> 
> [snip]
> 
>> Chipset vendors to avoid;
>> Broadcom
>> TI
>>
> Is this a technical or a personal criticism? Why don't you write a 
> driver for these
> cards? I think that's the usual "Linux community" response.

It's not so simple. Those vendors do not provide the information needed. 
Without the specs, it's very difficult. People are working on them, but 
if you want working wireless, there are products from vendors who do help.

If you google the dlink website, you will find help for Linux users.


-- 

Cheers
John

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