Standardised Hardware Support Spec - Please Review

[Alex Jones]

On Fri, 2007-04-06 at 06:48 -0500, hggdh wrote:
> On Fri, 2007-04-06 at 08:56 +0100, Alex Jones wrote:
> 
> > You wouldn't necessarily /need/ a new application to help the user
> > remove it if it was packaged like I am suggesting. You'd remove the HSP
> > and the installed and unneeded support packages could be apt-get
> > autoremove'd.
> 
> Why not create this database, create an interface to HAL, and then just
> start what is signaled from HAL? This way we can still have a distro
> that will allow the casual user to just plug and play -- which is, I
> think, quite an important thing to have.

This isn't about running unnecessary services, it's about having them
installed on your system in the first place.

> On the other hand, I am not sure that I would like to have generic
> autostart on a server. And, no matter what, I would really like *not* to
> have autostarted what I do not want started, for whatever reason. We
> should have an easy way of doing so.

Having said what I've just said above, it would be nice if, whenever you
hotplug a device, it gives you the option of what to do next, in a way
similar to what happens when you plug removable media in.

> >  Sorted. As it happens, all of this stuff is just
> > dependency of ubuntu-desktop, meaning that it all gets reinstalled every
> > time I do a distribution upgrade. *Groan*.
> > 
> 
> Yes, that bothers me also. And, on some servers, I do want X (for
> example).

Not sure what you're getting at here. You /do/ want X? Why is it a
problem to remove ubuntu-desktop there, then?

> > I've noticed that in my restricted drivers manager, it has chosen to
> > install "Lucent/Agere lindmodem controller driver". I didn't even think
> > I had a modem, and even if I did, I certainly have zero use for it.
> > What's the point in knowingly "infecting" my system with closed-source
> > kernel modules when you don't even know if I want it?
> 
> Well, with all due respect, you already have infected your system with
> closed-source module(s).

I have? (Not that I'm normally that bothered about it.)

> But I do see your point and, again, an
> interface with HAL plus a DB could deal with it. As for the packaging of
> all the restricted modules together, I have no opinion.

Personally I don't see the reason to bundle restricted drivers together
at all. In my opinion, we should have supported HSPs that are provided
by Ubuntu/Canonical, and unsupported HSPs that can be provided by third
parties. All of the current "restricted" drivers would be of the
unsupported kind. I think this is a much more logical approach to
everyone, including non-technical end-users.