MSI: Don't buy our webcam

[Karl F. Larsen]

Thomas Kaiser wrote:
> On 08/28/2009 07:35 PM, Dotan Cohen wrote:
>>> On the box of this webcam is clearly written what OS's are supported!
>>>
>> That is an excellent point. I would have not made the purchase myself,
>> but the cam was a gift. It was a gift from a family member, actually,
>> and now I have to explain to her why despite her gift she will not be
>> seeing Meirav and Maayan (my daughters) over the internet.
>>
>>
>>>> Do you mention to the vendors that you intend to use their hardware
>>>> with Linux when you but it? Because if you don't, then there is
>>>> nothing for them to notice.
>>> Did you mention to MSI that you use the webcam with Linux?
>>>
>> Yes, that was my initial question. When the tech informed me that he
>> does not have that information, I asked if it supported UVC and when
>> he didn't have _that_ information, I asked to get higher-level
>> support. He would not give that to me.
> 
> Wrong wording from me, I wanted to say "Before you bought it", but it 
> was a gift.... This doesn't count anymore.
> 
>>
>>> Which OS would you recommend for me if I want to
>>>> use a webcam?
>>> Linux! A lot of webcams are supported by the gspca driver. See
>>> http://moinejf.free.fr/webcam.html
>>>
>> It is too bad that the gift purchaser just assumed that "webcam" meant
>> "will enable Dotan to show me his daughters over the internet" and not
>> "needs to be carefully checked against tables of compatibility with
>> Dotan's wacko choice of OS".
>>
>>
>>> Usually, it is not the hardware vendor who provides the Linux support,
>>> it's the community!
>>>
>> Well, then, I suppose that you are right. We shouldn't expect nor even
>> request that vendors support our choice of OS, we should all learn to
>> program drivers in C and get our code either submitted to the linux
>> kernel, or forever patch our own kernels.
> 
> Actually, sadly but true, this is the case. Fortunately, the Linux 
> distributer do most of this.
> The Linux user group is just to small for a hardware vendor to make 
> money with us.
> 
>>> Instead of yelling around about the bad support of MSI you could use
>>> your time to provide information to the community about your cam.
>>>
>> What would the community tell me that three days of googling and
>> experimenting with differing, often outdated solutions with often
>> abandoned won't? I'm one of those idiots who tries to STFW first. But
>> in any case, just to cover all my ground, I did ask on the
>> Linux-UVC-Devel mailing list:
>> https://lists.berlios.de/pipermail/linux-uvc-devel/2009-August/005067.html
> 
> You didn't mention that you were investigating.
>>
>>> Did you check http://moinejf.free.fr/webcam.html to see if your cam is
>>> supported?
>>>
>> Yes, the camera that I received as a gift is not listed there.
>>
>>
>>> - Provide exact Vendor and Model information (when possible with a link
>>> to the products site)
>>>
>> http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=132&prod_no=618
>>
>>
>>> - lsusb shows the vendor:product ID, good to know
>>>
>> Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0c45:60fc Microdia PC Camera with Mic (SN9C105)
> 
> The SN9C102 bridge is supported by gspca. I am not sure about the SN9C105.
> 
>>
>>> - linux-media at vger.kernel.org mail list would be a good place to ask for
>>> support
>>>
>> Thanks, Thomas, I will ask there. I must stress that the purpose of
>> this message was to warn potential MSI / Linux victims but of course
>> if someone could help with a solution then I am more than grateful.
>> However, I do not believe that community support frees the
>> manufacturer from responsibility to support his products. By "support"
>> I am not even referring to providing Linux drivers, I am referring to
>> MSI's refusal to refer my questions to a higher level of technical
>> support with answers, even if the answer is "no".
> 
> They have to provide the support they claim to provide. But as soon as 
> you talk about Linux and Linux is not an OS they support you are on your on.
> 
> BTW, I never saw a webcam where you could find something about Linux on 
> the box. Even Logitech does not write something about Linux support on 
> there box but there are open to Linux (at least they provide information 
> to write drivers for Linux).
> 
> Thomas
> 
> 
	Yes I want to add my experience to that of Thomas. I have over the
years bought Logitech which has NEVER said on the box that it works with
Linux, ANY Linux, but their stuff always does. My old but good trackball
from them is an example. It started with Fedora and still works with
this Ubuntu Jaunty. And I have never needed a "driver".

73 Karl


-- 

	Karl F. Larsen, AKA K5DI
	Linux User
	#450462   http://counter.li.org.
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