Unofficial Linux Drivers Topic

[Shadow Gamer]

This topic is [aspiring] to be the source of Linux drivers for the LTT forum. More accurately, it's a random topic made by a random person who thinks that linux driver sources are virtually undocumented and not known by the general public. 

 

Here is the format for submitting a source: 

[Distribution specific]

[Device name + type of device]

[Name of driver package]

[Website/source to attain driver package]

 

Should I include all the sources in the OP or just use the replies as a giant list? Putting everything in the OP is more efficient and easier to read and find, but using the reply list is easier to maintain and the topic can still go on even if I'm busy or if I leave. Tell me what you think.  

[rashdanml]

Not sure what you mean by "sources" - if you mean documentation, there's usually plenty provided by each distribution. 

 

Arch Wiki, for instance, does a good job of explaining everything you need to know about drivers (most of which are integrated into the latest kernel version - which is available on Arch shortly after the kernel update is released upstream). 

 

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/xorg#Driver_installation Good summary for open-source and proprietary Video drivers. 

[Builder]

-snip-

I think he means as a portal to LTT users who are just getting started in Linux or who need help finding a driver.

[rashdanml]

If that's the case, possible organization scheme:

 

[Device name + type of device]

[Name of driver package]

[Distribution specific method to install/configure device - usually methods are pretty common]

 

Video cards and network devices are a good starting point, already highlighted Video cards above as an example. Debian/Ubuntu based distributions have a repository that can be added for open-source and proprietary drivers as well: https://launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ubuntu/ppa Think these packages should be in the official repositories too. 

 

Network devices are normally integrated into the kernel, but there are some drivers/packages that can be installed separately. 

[Builder]

-snip-

This may be a bad time, but do you know what the status is on those BCM43xx drivers? The ones the OpenBSD people accidentally stole?

[rashdanml]

This may be a bad time, but do you know what the status is on those BCM43xx drivers? The ones the OpenBSD people accidentally stole?

Mm, Broadcom. Was a nightmare to work with a few years ago, trying to install Arch on my old laptop. I ended up giving up back then. 

 

It appears as if the drivers for Broadcom devices (b43/legacy, brcmsmac/brcmfmac and broadcom-wl) have all been integrated into the kernel as of version 2.6.39 or so.  Think it was b43 (called a bunch of other names too) that was reverse-engineered, which OpenBSD stole. Pretty much all of them have been integrated into the kernel and are loaded automatically if you have the device.

 

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/broadcom_wireless

 

By comparison, Intel Wireless chips are much easier to deal with and are far more stable. Realtek chips are also easy to work with now, but I've noticed some odd stability issues on my desktop (even with a Wifi range extender in my room). Laptop sitting next to my desktop has an Intel wireless card, and it's very stable. 

[Builder]

It appears as if the drivers for Broadcom devices (b43/legacy, brcmsmac/brcmfmac and broadcom-wl) have all been integrated into the kernel as of version 2.6.39 or so.  Think it was b43 (called a bunch of other names too) that was reverse-engineered, which OpenBSD stole. Pretty much all of them have been integrated into the kernel and are loaded automatically if you have the device.

 

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/broadcom_wireless

 

By comparison, Intel Wireless chips are much easier to deal with and are far more stable. Realtek chips are also easy to work with now, but I've noticed some odd stability issues on my desktop (even with a Wifi range extender in my room). Laptop sitting next to my desktop has an Intel wireless card, and it's very stable. 

Yes, well unfortunately Apple hath chosen Broadcom for me so Broadcom it must be.

 

I realize Broadcom is a pain to work with, they're like the nVidia of wireless chips. I was just wondering whether they were integrated yet because that was a pretty big roadblock to installing a GNU/Linux distro on this laptop.

 

I'll keep that in mind. I'm working on a hybrid machine with built in Raspberry Pi using the bigger desktop as a build slave for the coding I'll do on the Pi. It's a bit complex but the result will be SO COOL.

[Shadow Gamer]

Not sure what you mean by "sources" - if you mean documentation, there's usually plenty provided by each distribution. 

 

Arch Wiki, for instance, does a good job of explaining everything you need to know about drivers (most of which are integrated into the latest kernel version - which is available on Arch shortly after the kernel update is released upstream). 

 

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/xorg#Driver_installation Good summary for open-source and proprietary Video drivers. 

I meant places were drivers[as an exe, zip, etc.] could be downloaded and installed. At this point, I'm only going to put in the ones with the format, since lots of URL's are flying around with no organized details concerning them. 

[rashdanml]

There's not much point in that.

 

1) .exe doesn't work on Linux, and few drivers are provided as a .deb/.rpm file which can be double-clicked to install. 

2) Any proprietary/open-source driver provided by the manufacturer usually gets added into the kernel. 

3) Precious few manufacturers actually provide a Linux driver download officially on their website. A good bunch just say "go check your distribution specific documentation".

[Shadow Gamer]

There's not much point in that.

 

1) .exe doesn't work on Linux, and few drivers are provided as a .deb/.rpm file which can be double-clicked to install. 

2) Any proprietary/open-source driver provided by the manufacturer usually gets added into the kernel. 

3) Precious few manufacturers actually provide a Linux driver download officially on their website. A good bunch just say "go check your distribution specific documentation".

I know .exe's don't work on Linux, I just don't know of any examples of extensions. 

So the drivers are integrated into the system and you don't have to download them? Huh...  

[rashdanml]

I know .exe's don't work on Linux, I just don't know of any examples of extensions. 

So the drivers are integrated into the system and you don't have to download them? Huh...  

Into the kernel, yes. As of the latest kernel version, though not every distribution can use the latest version until it's deemed stable enough. Ubuntu uses the Software Centre to download and install drivers by searching their repositories automatically based on the device in question. 

 

Almost all hardware should work out of the box with the built-in drivers and firmware, if needed. Very few devices actually require downloading specific drivers, or proprietary ones. 

[Shadow Gamer]

Ah, ok then. No wonder a thread like this hasn't been created. 

How do you get the mods to lock a thread?