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Reverse Engineered 802.11b+ Drivers

Posted by Hemos on from the if-you-build-it-they-will-use-it dept.

orv writes "When Andreas Mohr found that his new wireless networking card wasn't supported under Linux rather than returning the card and getting himself a supported one, he decided to set up a project to write his own drivers instead - http://acx100.sourceforge.net. Companies such as D-Link had initially promised to release linux drivers for these cards but later backed down from that promise and announced that Linux would not be supported and that customers should not hold on to the cards in the hope of getting them working, as shown on their current FAQ. Texas Instruments, the makers of the chipsets upon which these 802.11b+ cards are based refused to release code or specifications for the cards, no doubt for similar reasons that were recently discussed here. The fact that the current alpha release is certainly as good, and in some areas better, than the binary drivers that escaped from one of the card manufactureres speaks volumes for the quality and determination of the team to create their own drivers."

5 of 272 comments (clear)

  1. Don't buy unsupported hardware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't want to put the heroic work of these folks into a bad light, but from an evolutionary perspective, wouldn't it be better to avoid buying hardware if the vendor refuses to support Linux?

    1. Re:Don't buy unsupported hardware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A free market is not a fixed set of producers with a bunch of passive consumers who either take it or leave it. If a certain product does almost everything a person wants and he has the expertise to fill in the gaps himself, then by all means he should do so. Just like the X-Box hacks or 3rd party Lexmark printer cartridge refills. Sure, some vendors may be supporting Linux already, but it's always nice to have more choices in case one of them changes their mind. Competition is good.

      Now if the card makers start using legal or technological measures to stop these open source efforts, then scream and boycott them.

  2. Re:And yet, the UN suggests WiFi laptops??? by sehryan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Do you honestly think that Mr. Kofi Annan knows the first thing about WiFi computing with laptops?

    People that high up don't think logistics, they think ideas, and let the people below them work out the details. I am sure he wasn't thinking "This is my way to get in the good graces of Bill Gates!!! Third World Countries...Windows 0wnz j00!!!" More than likely it was "It would be cool for all these countries to have wireless laptops" with absolutely 0 knowledge on the details of such an idea.

    --
    The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
  3. Taking advantage by orv · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is particularly galling when you read about manufactureres who are actually reaping the benfits of open source development in their own products link but then refuse to support linux using customers.

  4. If nobody bought "unsupported" hardware... by goldspider · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...and wrote drivers for it, we wouldn't have much of a Linux today, now would we?

    --
    "Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy