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Why Linux sucks (and how to fix it) VS. Linux doesn't suck (and I can prove it)
kyrathaba:
When I find a Linux distro that installs and automagically detects and connects to my wireless internet access point (the way both WinXP and 7 did), I'll consider learning it.
40hz:
When I find a Linux distro that installs and automagically detects and connects to my wireless internet access point (the way both WinXP and 7 did), I'll consider learning it.
-kyrathaba (August 14, 2012, 07:06 PM)
--- End quote ---
Blame the wireless card manufacturers, geographically varying licenses, and IP laws for that.
Many distros used to include wireless support right out of the box. But they've pretty much all stopped doing it more recently.
Because distros can't control where they get installed, unless the drivers are given to them with an unrestricted international and uniform license they can't include certain drivers by default. They can, however, be loaded quite easily after the initial installation. Most modern distros will even identify the drivers you need and offer to install them - but only after you accept the manufacturer's license agreement on the splash page that appears. Which leads to the ridiculous situation where the last time I loaded Linux on a laptop, I had to connect to the web using a CAT-5 cable in order to get access to the wireless drivers the distro suggested I install. Once that was done less than a minute later, it fired right up (without the need of a reboot), and found my WAP. All I needed to do was give it my WPA2 key and I was set to go. I've been completely wireless ever since. Sound stupid? If so, that's because it is. But that's the world we've created for ourselves. Because there is no practical or technical reason for any of this nonsense. Only legal nonsense masquerading as reasons.
:-\
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I'm also glad you'll "consider learning" Linux when it finally works exactly the way you think it should. However, since what you want Linux to do involves proprietary hardware drivers, I wouldn't worry about needing to learn it anytime soon. Attorneys get paid by the hour. And it's all billable time as far as many of them are concerned. :mrgreen:
mahesh2k:
Wireless support for debian and it;s child distros (ubuntu, mint etc) works just fine in india. If it works in india, I wonder what stops it from not working in united states. Hell, not even so called unixes, BSDs have this much plug and play support for the internet devices here in India. Almost any 3G/4G device in India is supported under debian without much hassle.
I don't know why wireless access should be an issue. If Indians are in position to switch to linux despite slow network and other hardware issues, I don't think people in US and Canada will have any trouble on connectivity end. Most of the time If it's USB device plugged for connectivity, there is hardly anything you have to worry about it on linux. :up:
barney:
Wireless support for debian and it;s child distros (ubuntu, mint etc) works just fine in india. If it works in india, I wonder what stops it from not working in united states. Hell, not even so called unixes, BSDs have this much plug and play support for the internet devices here in India. Almost any 3G/4G device in India is supported under debian without much hassle.
I don't know why wireless access should be an issue. If Indians are in position to switch to linux despite slow network and other hardware issues, I don't think people in US and Canada will have any trouble on connectivity end. Most of the time If it's USB device plugged for connectivity, there is hardly anything you have to worry about it on linux. :up:
-mahesh2k (August 14, 2012, 09:17 PM)
--- End quote ---
While I can appreciate the sentiment (and am somewhat envious, btw), that's not always the case here. While I suspect it is provider dependent, I don't really have anything to support that opinion. Nonetheless, what I (and many others, according to forae & blogs) have experienced is that it requires significant effort to get wireless- or even cabled - networking working (somehow, networking working just sounds wrong :-[). Not everyone has that problem, of course, but may of us do. In fact, I've on occasion had problems getting even USB to work. Now, that may be due to the really crappy network interface that exists in the US, I don't know. Or it could be OEM dissuasion, again, I don't know. (But I did have a conversation with tech support once that pretty much implied that if it ain't Win or Mac, it ain't at all.) But it's a fact that many folk here have significant troubles with installation.
zridling:
Oh jeez, that was hilarious. "Beefy Miracle."
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