[Ham-Linux] Take ACER Off your Linux-Friendly List

[Jeff Laughlin]

Vendors don't hate Linux, they just don't like it enough.

Usually wireless or other devices are unsupported by Linux because
1. Vendor doesn't care
2. Driver loads firmware or VHDL code or something at initialization which
the vendor has licensed from a 3rd party under restrictive terms
3. Vendor intentionally locks out FOSS drivers because of silly FCC rules
about frequency agility

It can be neigh on impossible to create clean room drivers based on reverse
engineering for stuff like that.

Anyway, while Acer is complicit, they are really just a middle man. It's
really the device vendor that is ultimately to blame.

On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 10:35 PM, Curt, WE7U <archer at eskimo.com> wrote:

> On Wed, 29 Jul 2009, kd4e wrote:
>
>  Take ACER Off your Linux-Friendly List.
>>
>> Their Acer Aspire 5535 laptop locks-out the wireless modem
>> and Blue tooth from any access unless a MS version of window
>> is installed.
>>
>
> The correct wording might be something like:  The Linux I installed
> doesn't appear to support the wireless modem or bluetooth.  It
> doesn't mean that the laptop locks-out those device unless MS
> drivers are installed.  It just means that your drivers you're using
> now, or the configuration for the drivers you're using now, doesn't
> appear to work for you.
>
> Have you tried Google for "acer aspire 5535 wireless"?  I get quite
> a few hits on that.  You might find something of interest that would
> work, as in changing drivers, changing your driver settings, or
> installing a different version or brand of Linux.
>
> Wireless and portable devices are often the hardest to get every
> little thing working on under Linux.  Manufacturers often take
> shortcuts in the hardware and/or change the circuit ever so slightly
> compared to desktop units.  Often drivers don't handle these
> differences unless some driver author specifically targets that
> device.
>
> Good luck!
>
>
>  See Acer's "tough luck for you" reply below.
>>
>
> That sort of reply is normal for any company, sorry to tell you.  It
> just means they don't have people hired and trained to support other
> configurations than what they ship.  I'm surprised that it's a
> surprise to you.
>
> --
> Curt, WE7U.                         <http://www.eskimo.com/~archer<http://www.eskimo.com/%7Earcher>
> >
>   APRS:  Where it's at!                    <http://www.xastir.org>
>  Lotto:  A tax on people who are bad at math. - unknown
> Windows:  Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates. - WE7U.
> The world DOES revolve around me:  I picked the coordinate system!"
>
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-- 
73 de n1ywb