Provide Linux Drivers for all your Hardware

February 19, 2007

Posted By:  gergnz

8949 Votes

Status: Partially Implemented

Promote

I don't care whether the OS is pre-installed or not, I want all the hardware to be totally supported in the Linux kernel without in mucking around. I currently have a Dell M1210 and I wish the modem would work, just in case I need it. The web cam would work, just in case I need it. At least the Intel wireless card is totally supported. Thanks Intel!!

DELL/ Status Update
Drivers are available for Linux to make some but not all hardware work. We continue to work with our partners to provide for better hardware support. See more specifics from john_h.

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  • Dec 28, 2011     Comment Link

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    Posted By: asjo

    The drivers need to be at least open source, preferably free software. Proprietary drivers are deprecated by design.
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  • Feb 25, 2011     Comment Link

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    Posted By: pierre

    A friend of mine has a Dell 924 printer, and he cannot find a driver for his linux distribution.
    I offered him to try to find a way to make it work, but unfortunately, I only found very pessimistic comments about this printer and the inexistence of a linux driver.
    I cheked on dell website:
    http://search.euro.dell.com/results.aspx?spf=Printer&ssysid=PRN_ALL_A924&ssysn=924+%28Photo+All-in-One%29&s=gen&c=fr&l=fr&ira=False&cat=sup&subcat=dyd&rf=all&nk=f&k=driver+printer&p=1&rpp=12&sort=-date&~srd=False&ipsys=False&advsrch=False

    I checked on many linux forums, mailing lists...
    So far, no luck.

    So: are there any plans to release a GNU/Linux driver for this hardware?

    Less specifically, a quite bad advertisement comes from the  openprinting site: if you look at this listing:
    http://www.openprinting.org/query.cgi?type=printers

    There are only 5 entries for Dell printers: this seems quite low, in my very humble opinion...

    So, next question (suggestion): are there any plans to release GNU/Linux drivers for the whole range of Dell products?

    I should point out that in my company, there is absolutely no computer running on windows any more. So, naturally, when we purchase hardware, we first check GNU/linux and BSD compatibility.

    Regards
    Pierre
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  • Jan 5, 2011     Comment Link

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    Posted By: rado

    @john_h: Yes , I would like to let you know about Broadcom Corp. BCM5880 Secure Applications Processor with fingerprint touch sensor (ID 0a5c:5802). It does not work with Linux. It is a part of Latitude laptops E-Series (6510 in particular). Can you help?
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  • Aug 29, 2009     Comment Link

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    Posted By: john_h

    @JC: since Dell doesn't design its own peripherals, we rely completely on our vendors to do so and provide device drivers. We already have vendor requirements in place to provide Linux drivers, with a strong preference for open source drivers. We have been successful with providing Linux support now for  around ~98% (my guestimate) of the devices in the systems, adn we're continuing to work on the rest. If there are specific devices on Dell systems today that don't work with Linux, please let me know. 
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  • Aug 23, 2009     Comment Link

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    Posted By: JC

    Rgarding Linux drivers, I'm sure that it would be expensive for Dell to actually supply the coders/coding. An alternative suggestion I have is just require your vendors to supply the drivers. If it were I in charge of Vendor Contracts I would do this:

    1) Let them know that in the next contract cycle that Linux drivers must be available for supplied peripherals. Give all your vendors at least 6 - 9 months notice on this new policy which, in turn, gives them a chance to either hire a couple of good software engineers and/or leverage open source drivers that already work to some extent and are available in the kernel tree, thus improving the Linux kernel and all distributions.

    2) Number 1 above would in many cases offer vast improvements to drivers that already exist which would save money for the vendor as well as allow both Dell and the vendor to leverage some Open Source Bragging Rights.

    3) Anounce that in the near future ( say 1.5 to 3 years maximum) all hardware peripherals purchased by Dell for their systems WILL have open source drivers available. For those vendors who must either start from scratch or those who already supply existing closed source drivers, that will give them enough time to figure out how to open source them if they want to continue doing business with Dell.

    Let's face it, Open Source is the wave of the future, not to mention that it's the Responsible Thing to do. Dell has enough power in the market place to carry some considerable weight. Vendors want lock-in with Dell. Dell can get something here in return that guarantees Dell a growth in their customer base from servers to desktops with no harm to anyone, particularly Microsoft, which I'm sure is a serious consideration.

    I have three Dell Computers that run Linux full-time, two workstations and one dual quad-core server. They run flawlessly with the exception of one workstation with an NVidia card. It's usable, but some aggravatingside effects when upgrading, etc.

    My point is that although I am relatively well satisfied with Dell's products, so far, and will probably continue to use them, they could be far better. Requiring Open Source drivers from Vendors would ensure lock-in for all three sides of the transaction (Dell, Vendors, Customers) now and in the future, not to mention a tremendous sales tool for Dell regarding the Emerging Economies Marketplace.

    Lets face it, it's the Right Thing to do.

    Regards,

    John C.
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  • Jul 9, 2009     Comment Link

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    Posted By: phubert

    You'll also find simple FUN ... I think it's a good place to just be yourself.
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  • Jul 9, 2009     Comment Link

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    Posted By: phubert

    Five Places You Can Slash IT Spending

    by Charlie Schluting

    "Vendor lock-in is great for the vendor, but not as much for the IT shop. In this article we focus on the infrastructure side of IT, exploring how enterprise-grade services can be had for drastically reduced costs, or even for free.
    http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/netsysm/article.php/3828821

    **

    But, at varlinux you will find more outspoken conservatives (including Nick), politics, religion, agnostics, Christians (of various sorts), humor ... but NO profanity and generally civil exchange. And, yes, tech issues. The more tech but also the more variety the better.

    The more VARIETY we have in participation, the better, by my measure. I think Nick may have driven away our most vocal resident leftist (also a capitalist, tho, with his own successful business and employees). If you tolerate others well, you might be able to overlook individual 'vendettas' or rants.
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  • Jul 9, 2009     Comment Link

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    Posted By: renovak

    I may see you over there.
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  • Jul 9, 2009     Comment Link

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    Posted By: phubert

    Yes, I realized you were 'a windows guy' after you commented how well Microsoft had treated you.

    I worked in IT for 39 years, beginning with RCA mainframes and as an Assembly language programmer on those systems.

    Since then, I worked on IBM mainframes, Concurrent, Stratus, Sun, and Tandem systems and finally supporting Windows servers... the most boring and unproductive job I ever had.

    I'd thought of my first agency developing its own hardware. Of course that was no more than a silly fantasy.

    And, Linux is one very important thing: It is FREE, as in FREEDOM, not as in without cost.

    This is important, because Open Source (especially GPL2 and GPL3 licensed) software is the ONE instrument that provides the opportunity of truly open, shared, software development.  The potential cost savings are nearly astronomical, not primarily because of the software licensing savings, but rather because of the elimination of so much redundant development.

    You can still pay others to 'do it', but when you go the Open Source route, you end up being far less restricted and avoid the trap of vendor lock-in, which, by the way, has existed nearly if not as long as we've had electronic computers.  Microsoft is merely the latest 'big bad boy' on the block with disproportionate power.

    It would be foolish for government to develop its own operating system(s), and with Linux that is entirely unnecessary. Really, renovak, you are aware of the nature of Linux distributions and the support networks behind them, aren't you?

    And, you are well aware of the current and growing role of Linux in Enterprise platforms... right?

    You DID notice that the London stock exchange recently DROPPED its Windows platform for its inadequacy???  And, you also have noticed that there is growing dissatisfaction with the appropriateness of all RDBMS SQL systems for high-performance applications???

    Come on over to www.varlinux.org. We have people there who primarily support Windows OSes... and I think you might enjoy the group! I'm by far one of the least qualified of Nick Petreley's 'faithful followers' (it's his site... Nick has worked as the head of InfoWorld's test and review center, for Caldera assigned to the LSB (Linux Standards Base) definition, along with a number of other high-profile positions in IT journalism... in case you'd not heard of him.
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  • Jul 9, 2009     Comment Link

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    Posted By: renovak

    I work for the DoD.  Almost everything we do we use Windows.  The government could create its own operating system but it would have to maintain it and update it constantly and also perform security or anti-virus functions as well.  It could also buy something off-the-shelf in the form of Windows or Mac's OS, but there's no way they'd use any version of Linux for day-to-day operations.  Government acquisitions leans heavily toward buying stuff that's ready-made so they can concentrate on their real business.

    Don't get me wrong... I have nothing against Linux.  I'm just a Windows guy.  I know how much money goes into MS from the government's purchases, and all the rest they spend, based on my job.  It doesn't matter to me.  They need computers, right?  They'll either build it themselves or pay someone else to do it, but the government doesn't take anything for free.  It's against the FAR to do so.

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