Xyem
2006-12-28, 04:12 PM CST
Please bear with me, I have entered a state of confusion and seek enlightenment. Read on only if you want to discover/discuss the strange logic Safecom seem to employ ( though I do appreciate that someone is openly "supporting" Linux )
I have just been to a computer show and I have discovered a wireless PCI card which has a little image of Tux on the front. Excellent, I thought. Native Linux support is exactly what I am looking for . So I purchase 2 and bring them home, very excited as you can imagine. I have the side off my computer already and decide to slot one of these new cards in and boot up.
I figure, I am going to need to install the drivers and as the box clearly states Linux support, they will be on the CD. So I pop it in and have a browse. No drivers that I can see. So I figure, the manual will have some installation instructions for Linux, as it does have Linux as a supported system. So I find the manual and open it up. I do a search for "Linux".. 0 results found..
I stare at the computer blankly. What? What do you mean no results? I then manually scan the manual in case they simply never used the word "Linux", but there is nothing but instructions for Windows. :confused:
So I open up my laptop and browse to their site. Linux drivers in all their glory.
Enter state of confusion #1: Why are there no drivers at all for Linux on the CD. After all, the wireless card is ( most? ) likely going to be used to connect to a internet-enabled LAN and if without the drivers the card doesn't work, how am I supposed to get on the internet to download the drivers :confused: ( not everyone has alternative means of getting on the internet. For example, their only other option may be the workplace which, like mine, may not allow downloads. Or may not have removable media such as a USB memory stick to carry the files around with ). Strange.. to me at least.
So, confused, I download the drivers. I transfer them to my Linux PC and try to open them.
This format is not supported.
Enter state of confusion #2: The drivers I just downloaded are not archived in the ( standard? ) tar.gz way. Nope.. they are RAR'd.
So, even if I managed to download the drivers. I can't extract them. I can't install something to extract them because I have no internet.
Surely the logical progression would have been.
1) Create Linux drivers.
2) Put Linux drivers on CD shipped with the card.
3) Added Linux installation instructions.
3) Put Linux support "image" on the front of the box.
Or am I just crazy? :D
Thoughts, opinions etc.? Please share.
I have just been to a computer show and I have discovered a wireless PCI card which has a little image of Tux on the front. Excellent, I thought. Native Linux support is exactly what I am looking for . So I purchase 2 and bring them home, very excited as you can imagine. I have the side off my computer already and decide to slot one of these new cards in and boot up.
I figure, I am going to need to install the drivers and as the box clearly states Linux support, they will be on the CD. So I pop it in and have a browse. No drivers that I can see. So I figure, the manual will have some installation instructions for Linux, as it does have Linux as a supported system. So I find the manual and open it up. I do a search for "Linux".. 0 results found..
I stare at the computer blankly. What? What do you mean no results? I then manually scan the manual in case they simply never used the word "Linux", but there is nothing but instructions for Windows. :confused:
So I open up my laptop and browse to their site. Linux drivers in all their glory.
Enter state of confusion #1: Why are there no drivers at all for Linux on the CD. After all, the wireless card is ( most? ) likely going to be used to connect to a internet-enabled LAN and if without the drivers the card doesn't work, how am I supposed to get on the internet to download the drivers :confused: ( not everyone has alternative means of getting on the internet. For example, their only other option may be the workplace which, like mine, may not allow downloads. Or may not have removable media such as a USB memory stick to carry the files around with ). Strange.. to me at least.
So, confused, I download the drivers. I transfer them to my Linux PC and try to open them.
This format is not supported.
Enter state of confusion #2: The drivers I just downloaded are not archived in the ( standard? ) tar.gz way. Nope.. they are RAR'd.
So, even if I managed to download the drivers. I can't extract them. I can't install something to extract them because I have no internet.
Surely the logical progression would have been.
1) Create Linux drivers.
2) Put Linux drivers on CD shipped with the card.
3) Added Linux installation instructions.
3) Put Linux support "image" on the front of the box.
Or am I just crazy? :D
Thoughts, opinions etc.? Please share.