Ubuntu is not free.

[Dotan Cohen]

On 12/07/06, Ouattara Aziz <wattazoum at gmail.com> wrote:
> So what you're saying is that we let normal users coming from windows
> suffer from the lack of their hardware support so that they will go yell
> on manufacturers to release their specs/code ?
>
> I think only a few of them will do that. They'll go back to windows and
> (if we (Linux Community ) are lucky ) they'll wait for a new release of
> a distribution that support their hardware.
>
> If you want them to wake it the way your suggesting, you should have a
> way to make it easy for them to go complain.
> (eg. On the distribution website -Ubuntu- have a form they can fill for
> getting their hardware supported. That form should be related to a
> database that associate hardware ID with the manufacturer email. So that
> an email (sender <the complaining person> )will be send to  the
> manufacturer asking for them to provide Linux support. That will make
> the manufacturer reply to the complainant and they'll keep in touch
> concerning the problem. )
>

Is there a list of know _problematic_ hardware? I would volunteer my
time to compile a sheet of contact addresses for the responsible
companies. That way, every time a user _cannot_ get a peice of
hardware working, he can turn to my simple cheat-sheet and find the
address to complain to.

Dotan Cohen
http://essentialinux.com