[MLB-WIRELESS] 802.11g linux compatible cards.

[paul van den bergen]

This actually points out a bit of a thorny issue.

while I am happy that linux is getting more recognition, the real battle is to 
get open source recognition... 

e.g. if teh driver developer writes windows or mac only drivers, fine, they 
loose some market share.  being unwilling to release the hardware api or 
driver specifics (or whatever is required to allow 3rd parties to make their 
own drivers) would be the ideal solution... lets face it, the OS movement (be 
it linux or BSD etc.) doesn't need drivers, it needs information so it can 
make it's own drivers...


getting a Co to realise it CAN let go of it's IP and still benefit (e.g. not 
having to make or support numerous additional drivers for various obscure 
OSs) is the real battle...

On Wed, 7 May 2003 11:15 am, Jason Leigh Lade wrote:
> Hi Paul,
>
> Here is an excert from contact I have had with netgear regarding there
> 802.11g products and linux compatibility.
>
> Dear Jason,
>
> Thank you for contacting Netgear Support. My name is Tristan & Ian has
> asked me to will be handle your query.
>
> At this point in time we do not have linux drivers for the WG511 (you won't
> need linux drivers for the WG602). However, we may release linux drivers at
> a later stage (as with most our products). Unfortunately I don't know when
> these drivers will be released, but I have added your email address to a
> list of people to be emailed when there is a new firmware update (although
> I cannot ensure promise it will support linux).
>
> I figure if i contact and others contact then they might get the idea
> that it is really quite important that they help in making drivers
> available to such a large volume of customers who mind you are most
> likely to try out these types of products first.
>
> paul van den bergen wrote:
> >Given the extent of the FreeBSD communitee, I have no doubt that
> > appropriately hacked drivers are available somewhere - It would be well
> > worth searching some of the BSD forums... - e.g. freebsd.org is a good
> > starting point - has a list of lots of user forums etc.
> >
> >On Tue, 6 May 2003 04:32 pm, Nick Sibbing wrote:
> >>Chris Samuel wrote:
> >>>My understanding is that currently there are *no* 802.11g style cards
> >>>that will work under Linux (or *BSD) as they are all using the Broadcom
> >>>chipset and Broadcom have not released any drivers, or information on
> >>> how to write a driver, to the open source community.
> >>
> >>Just a thought but Apple have backed 802.11g stuff in a big way for
> >>their new airport extreme stuff
> >>
> >>OSX is all unix underneath these days and they have committed to the
> >>open source model so perhaps research at
> >>http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/darwin/resources.html
> >>
> >>Might find a driver for this chip? They have both mac and X86 versions
> >>of the core os. Someone who is clever both with macs and matters *nix eg
> >>Mr Clae or Mr Borthwick would be good to ask.
> >>
> >>Regards Nick Sibbing
> >>
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-- 
Dr Paul van den Bergen
Centre for Advanced Internet Architectures
caia.swin.edu.au
pvandenbergen at swin.edu.au
IM:bulwynkl2002
"And some run up hill and down dale, knapping the chucky stones 
to pieces wi' hammers, like so many road makers run daft. 
They say it is to see how the world was made."
Sir Walter Scott, St. Ronan's Well 1824 

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