Ubuntu is not free.

[Alan McKinnon]

On Wed, 2006-07-12 at 13:37 +0200, Ouattara Aziz 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 ?

No, I'm saying that me, you and everyone else currently using FLOSS
should be all over the hardware manufacturers cases' so that new Ubuntu
users don't have to battle the way we did.

> 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.

A distro that fully supports all hardware will happen if and only if we
make it happen. It's not up to the new users, they are not a part of our
community (yet), it's up to us.

This is not a passive action that has to be engaged in, it's an active
one. "Oh dear, Ubuntu can't support 3D hardware without using
proprietary drivers. I guess we'll have to watch people stick with
Windows" isn't the attitude I'm advocating. There is only one department
that has any real internal clout in most modern companies, and it's the
Marketing department - make that department aware that significant
numbers of customers are demanding that they change their ways, and
watch what happens.

Give them a reason to do so, like AMD had with AMD64. They decided to
work with the Linux community and while everything is not 100% open yet,
they got a decent leg-up on the 64 bit market. And Linux runs on their
stuff like a dream. (Admittedly, the fact that Intel had nothing to
compete with at the time helped AMD immensely).

> 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. )

Now that's a good idea. Except that the current Linux users will be the
people using such a service. Let the manufacturers get a good idea of
how many people out there are already using Linux and want free drivers
for their stuff.

alan