[100394] in RedHat Linux List
Re: "Winmodems" (Support in Linux)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Matt Nelson)
Fri Nov 20 10:59:52 1998
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 07:59:11 -0800 (PST)
From: Matt Nelson <mnelson@dynatec.com>
To: redhat-list@redhat.com
In-Reply-To: <365185C9.68A691DB@twopoint.com>
Resent-From: redhat-list@redhat.com
Reply-To: redhat-list@redhat.com
there is one point i haven't seen in this thread that has come up in the
linux kernel developers mailing list: the winmodem manufacturers are not
releasing the programming information for their devices (they're probably
affraid to document how butt-ugly the things are...).
this means that a) winmodem drivers would have to be completely
reverse-engineered somehow, and b) the effort in a) might have to be
repeated for every flavor of winmodem on the market. this all boils down
to a LOT of work required to support a crappy product, and the developers
who are capable of writing those drivers know it.
while i would personally NEVER buy a winmodem (and recommend the same to
my friends) i do think that it would be nice to see support in Linux. i
also have very little hope that it will ever happen.
-matt
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matthew Nelson
Dynamics Technology, Inc.
21311 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 300, Torrance, CA 90503-5610
Voice: (310) 543-5433 FAX: (310) 543-2117 Email: mnelson@dynatec.com
On Tue, 17 Nov 1998, Michael Jinks wrote:
> > Ken Archer wrote:
> > >
> > > Why is it that we profess to be promoters of Linux for the masses, but then
> > > advocate things that make it difficult for windows users to migrate to Linux.
> > > Windows users are the masses. Most of them buy a new buget-priced computer
> > > with a winmodem installed.
>
> All true enough, except that I take exception to the idea of the Linux
> nuts "advocating" non-support for Winmodems, if that's what you meant.
> My understanding, and again correct me if I'm wrong, is that Windmodems
> just don't work under Linux, not because King Linus proclaimed that
> nothing with that dratted "Win" prefix will be running in any of His
> machines, but because nobody has gotten around to making them work yet,
> because that will take a Lot Of Time And Effort.
>
> To me, it says more about where Linux' user base (still) is than about
> anything strictly political. The developers don't tend to run
> Winmodems, so it's not their problem to solve. It would be great if
> 3com would provide a driver, or if somebody with the rocks and know-how
> would write one, but I'm neither 3com nor that somebody with the rocks.
>
> Great as it is, our way of development does have its drawbacks, and this
> is one. Bet that M$ knows how to exploit this trick, and continue to
> scream long and loud when hardware won't work, but make sure that you
> scream in the right direction.
>
>
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