LCE: Linux, hardware vendors, and enterprise distributors

LCE: Linux, hardware vendors, and enterprise distributors

Posted Sep 6, 2007 0:22 UTC (Thu) by drag (subscriber, #31333)
In reply to: LCE: Linux, hardware vendors, and enterprise distributors by bfields
Parent article: LCE: Linux, hardware vendors, and enterprise distributors

> I'm typing this on the laptop (a 1420n), which shipped with two proprietary drivers, one for the Intel wireless, one for the modem. I assume the need for the proprietary wireless driver will go away with a kernel upgrade at some point, and I don't ever expect to use the modem, so I'm not complaining--it's a fine laptop, and about as free-software compatible as what I could get anywhere else.

I have a 1420n also. After a while of playing around with Ubuntu I switched back to using Debian Sid. It required a lot more setup, but I just feel more comfortable using Debian.

(I lost my desire to run many multiple Linux distros a couple years ago. Not saying Debian is better then Ubuntu.. Ubuntu's default setup is FANTASTIC for new Linux users. None better. I was very impressed)

If you upgrade your kernel to one that supports the mac80211 protocol stack (I am using wireles-dev branch) then you can take advantage of the updated iwl3945 drivers that do not require the regulatory daemon. (the kernel stuff is still open source, just the daemon is closed)

http://intellinuxwireless.org/?p=mac80211&n=Info

I didn't have any luck with the mac80211 package. The wireless dev branch works ok, but I think I may have some problems with encrypted networks (haven't tried any yet)

But this is ok, because the touch pad is a very new ALPS version, not synaptic like I thought.

I requires a one-line patch to the Linux kernel to get it to work with all the bells and whistles.

http://lkml.org/lkml/2007/8/4/184

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