Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Vendors Paying Lip Service To Linux Support?

Posted by Cliff on from the piss-off-potential-customers=bad-idea dept.

NetJunkie asks: "Most people are familiar with the Microsoft and Novell 'certified' logos on software and hardware. If something is shown to actually not be compatible with a standard install they can lose that logo. But what about Linux? I bought an IO Gear KVM/USB switch with the Tux logo on it. When it didn't work correctly switching consoles (the mouse would stop working under Linux until I reloaded mousedev) I called tech support and was told '...we don't really support Linux and it hasn't been tested very well'. They couldn't even give me a tested configuration that was proven to work, and I already run a pretty stock configuration. So what do we do?" We fix the problem. If their support doesn't help, maybe some kind coder out there has been able to solve the problems and can lend a helping hand. What other things can we do to ensure that vendors who say they "support Linux" really make good on their claims?

6 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. Non-partial testing company needed by linuxonceleron · · Score: 5
    We need some kind of non-partial company to test for linux support. Of course this will cost money for the producers of the hardware, but there's no way you could do it for free (short of giving the hardware away to linux users for testing :) ) A "Tested by Tux Labs" logo on the package would be what we would look for on packaging. It would also make things easier than having 5 redhat/suse/mandrake/debian/slackware ready logos on the box. This is an open space in the Linux business market that I'm sure someone will fill shortly as Linux becomes more mainstream.

    --

    Shine on, you crazy diamond.
  2. KVM Switches & linux. by Hardware_Bob · · Score: 5
    The new Cybex Switches all have a linux logo on it, which says linux and then in small print "linux-tested.com" This site provides linux testing and psuedo-certification.

    This shows that:

    • Hardware Certification is important to linux
    • Cybex (and other companies) who get their hardware "certified" or at least tested, recognise linux.
    • three things in a list look much more credible than two.
    I use a cybex SV-4 on 3 linux boxes daily, using an intellimouse, and have never had a problem.
    --------
  3. Collaborative vendor certification is the way! by dustpuppy · · Score: 5
    It seems to me that it is in the interests of the major Linux vendors to form a joint business which will provide Linux certification.

    That way they share the cost between them (minimising individual cost), there is inherent value in the certification because of the vendor reputations and market share, and it would promote greater consumer confidence in using Linux, and in the vendor specific distributions of Linux in particular.

    As far as I can see it is a win-win situation.

  4. A Lesson In How To Use Market Forces by Hrunting · · Score: 5

    I recently was in the market for a new cheapie ethernet card. I'm not talking about anything fancy here, just a little 10Mb card that I could stick in my Linux box for use with a new ISDN adapter. I went to Best Buy and bought a NetGear FA311. The side of the box said 'Supported operating systems' and listed underneath that 'Linux'.

    Inside, I was surprised to find on the driver diskette actual drivers, both in compiled module and source code forms. So I followed their instructions for installing the module with my 2.2.16 kernel. The module wouldn't load. No doubt it had been compiled for something else. So I followed the instructions for compiling in their module directly into my kernel. They didn't do that. They were completely wrong. So I messed around with the kernel and driver source to get the card into the configuration routine and successfully compiled it in. On bootup, the system crashed. So I contacted NetGear technical support. I received the Old Faithful of tech responses, "We don't support Linux, but we have a text file that will help you." I followed their text file to the letter (basically, compile in support for the DEC Tulip driver) and still no go. I then replied back to the NetGear guy, "Thanks but no thanks, I'm taking my business elsewhere." I then took the card back to Best Buy where I received a full refund for a 'broken' card. With my refund, I went to CompUSA (so shoot me) and bought an even cheaper SMC card (less than half the price, and the first one cost $24) that worked like a charm.

    So what do you do when a company says they support Linux and then you find out they don't? Take your business elsewhere. Even in my story I spent too much time fiddling with that NetGear, all because I didn't feel like driving back out to Best Buy. From reading newsgroup posts after the fact, I discovered that NetGear's even worse than I suspected. Apparently, their 'drivers' are actually the same thing as the standard DEC Tulip drivers rebranded, without proper crediting, and they did something that prevents the driver/card combo from working on a majority of systems, something they refuse to acknowledge.

    So what do you do if a company 'supports' Linux and really doesn't? Take your piece of hardware back and say it's defective. For all intents and purposes it is. For part of your payment, you're getting support and if you're not getting support, you have a defective product. Let market forces sort out the rest.

  5. Re:There's no certification by cwis · · Score: 5
    Shouldn't be that hard to start a new web site that tracked Linux device support

    Maybe you are looking for http://lhd.datapower.com/?

  6. Maybe I'm pedantic... by Robert+S+Gormley · · Score: 5

    ... but " Tested with Linux" does not mean "We provide Technical Support for Linux"...

    --

    Open Source. Closed Minds. We are Slashdot.