Slashdot Mirror
Linux Hardware Databases Merge
Kristopher Kersey writes "The two available online
Linux Hardware Databases located at
CompHardware.com
and LhD.DataPower.com
have decided to merge and form a new partnership for Linux
hardware information. The new partnership gives
LhD.DataPower.com control of the database while giving
CompHardware.com control over hardware reviews." Cool!
Two (click) two useful Linux hardware sites in one.
another one: linuxhardware.net
Eeek, looks like a nice site content-wise, but it sure could use a little help graphics-wise. Changing the green-on-black to black-on-white would be an excellent first step.
/. won't send me a password.
-Tim
Anonymous because
Maybe someone can hack up Redhat's "hwdiag" utility which autoprobes one hardware to put together a list of devices on the computer and then the user can rate each device on how it functions and the program can email the results to this database. Anything which reduces the effort and automates the work is an improvement.
Im starting to see hardware that has linux as a "works with" operating system.
Works With:
SCO
Windows NT
Windows 95
Windows 98
Linux
my linksys pci 10/100 NIC has it listed.
--nrl
Granted it focuses on being a knowledge base rather than a strict database, but I thought it deserved a mention.
It'd be great to be able to see something of the like on new hardware when you buy it. I've lost count of how many times I've walked into a CompUSA and forgot which brands and models of hardware are supported.
A few years ago it happened to me -- the
fourth and fifth fingers of my right hand went
completely numb. Having had friends with CTS,
I went to the doctor immediately. Turned out I
had pinched my funny bone nerve some how (probably
by sleeping in a strange position).
Problem went away in about a week. It still
happens every once in a while, but never as
severely.
Scared me enough that I behave a little bit better now. Programming is not near as intensive
for keyboard use as University was, so I'm not
so worried anymore. (I used to type for spare
cash).
I saw a video capture board at Fry's the other day with Linux printed in big letters on the box. :) With all the hype around Linux lately, I wouldn't be surprised if this started happening a Lot more. Just think. Increase your sales overnight for just the price of a sticker!
With companies like Creative Labs and Neomagic co-operating with Linux vendors to make their stuff work with Linux (even when not enlightened enough to make their hardware open), it's a good sign. If you're going to spend the money for coders, why not mention it?
(For the uninformed - NeoMagic even went on to open up their specs! Yay!)
Imagine:
Pricewatch in 1 browser Window, the Linux hardware database in another. Or, if you prefer, eBay in 1 browser window and the Linux hardware database in another.
And, the ppl not busy being sarcastic twits can spend a few minutes checking for favorite pieces of Linux-compatible hardware... And, the hardware co's, whose employees read slashdot can go list all of their models that work there. And, the people who run Linux links sites can update their sites. etc.
Heh.
--
rickf@transpect.SPAM-B-GONE.net (remove the SPAM-B-GONE bit)
"People will pay big bucks for the luxury of ignorance."
Someone made a logo for that awhile ago. It said, "Cool, it works with Linux." IIRC it was white and blue. I recall seeing it on some websites for software, but never in the hardware market for which it was intended.
The more centralized these type of sites become, the easer it will be for everyone to get to the information like this. Thats one nice thing about say OS/2. I can go to IBM's site to find hardware that works with OS/2, but with Linux, I may have to check 4 sites to get what I need.
-----
What would be great is if new hardware vendors put a "Designed for Linux" or at least a "Works with Linux" logo on their packaging. That way, when someone goes to buy something off the shelf, they know it works right away.
I know if I went to buy a 3d card, NIC, etc, and I saw one with the penguin in the corner of the box, I'd get it.
Maybe it could replace those God awful "Designed for Windows" logos =)
This is a good thing (tm)!
:)
Currently I'm installing Linux on a new Compaq server with a brand new RAID controller.. I couldn't find it in the Linux hardware DB. So I'm pleased that this merger has come about, im sure that many sysadmins will now find it easier to convice their managers to use Linux now they can combat the "no hardware support" argument.
Let's hope these guys use their combined weight to influence hardware vendors to support their products under Linux!
I think that this is one of the most important things that Linux needs! I hope it becomes a formidable force to be feared by vendors!
It would also be nice if all those linux tuning pages merged to make a bigger database.
Hope there aren't a lot of mergers to make big sites though... b/c conflicts will arise in them, and we'll have more forking!!
We all already know everyone doesnt agree... look at the slashdot threads!
I hope this works out. It'd be nice to see this type of thing work out.
It may seem like a small point, but I want to amplify the part about archive!
One of the best things about linux is its wide-ranging hardware support (this is true of Free and NetBSD as well, but not as broad) -- being able to set up a system using hardware which would be impractically slow under NT or Win9X is a huge selling point. (Well, 'using point;)')
But when hardware is more than a few years old (and sometimes just more than a year or so) it is often hard to find drivers for it. But if your laser printer, or sound card, or video card, etc. works and you'd like to use it, it's frustrating to be driven to new hardware for lack of a small piece of software.
I appreciate companies that offer long-term value by keeping drivers available, but since most linux drivers are hacked together rather than Officially Released, the idea of an archive for this information is especially important.
Just a thought,
timothy
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
Sure, they're unified now -- making life that much easier for those of us who don't usually buy prebuilt Linux computers. But will the database "live"? That is, will they be aggressive in keeping the database as current as possible?
Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the present. Yeah, it'll make life easier in the present -- not having to search several places -- but let's see what the future holds.
Then again, it can't possibly cause any more fragmentation than we already have.
"You can never have too many elephants on your team."
I sure wish some sort of definite, linux consortium could be formed, like for GNOME, whereby vedors could post and archive their drivers. Perhaps this already exists in one form or another, but it really needs to be *completely* centralized.