[Cialug] Linux hardware support

[David Champion]

This series of articles posted on /. got me thinking...

http://searchopensource.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1134910,00.html
http://searchopensource.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1134908,00.html
http://searchopensource.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1134909,00.html

I think what needs to happen is for people to get the attention of 
hardware companies and vendors, to make them start paying attention to 
the lack of Linux drivers.

A few ways to accomplish this:

Obviously emailing or calling them and requesting the drivers is one 
method. We could do a petition, but I've never been a big fan of those.

A subversive way of doing it would be to have people keep going in to 
the vendors and asking for a WiFi card that will work with Linux, for 
instance. According to the article, there were no cards available at 
either CompUSA or BestBuy that said they were Linux compatible. I know 
there are some that are, but a lot of times that requires you to either 
download & compile drivers, or to use ndiswrapper.

Might be something to discuss at the meeting, or afterwards over a few 
beverages. :)

-dc