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Buying hardware (laptops and peripherals) from vendors that explicitly support Linux would probably be a good first step for many folks.
by trelane 2y ago
Buying hardware (laptops and peripherals) from vendors that explicitly support Linux would probably be a good first step for many folks.
- lolinder 2y agoThat would help people use Linux, but I'm not sure it would make a difference in maintainer bus factor. If I only buy hardware from vendors that already have Linux support then my driver needs are presumably met for me, no? I'm unlikely to write drivers for hardware I don't even own.
- trelane 2y ago> I'm not sure it would make a difference in maintainer bus factor If they want to ship working hardware, it would help for sure. > I'm unlikely to write drivers for hardware I don't even own. Oh, I see. You're assuming the users will write the driver. See, the point of this proposal is that the vendors should write the drivers and kernel infrastructure. You know what's harder than writing a driver? Writing a driver for hardware that you don't have documentation or chip/board vendor support for because you're some random person instead of their direct customer and potential revenue stream.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- diggan 2y ago> That would help people use Linux, but I'm not sure it would make a difference in maintainer bus factor Another perspective is that every maintainer of Linux drivers starts as a Linux user, so driving up Linux users will indirectly lead to more maintainers eventually, even if only a small bump. Then if a Linux user starts out with a computer that is 100% Linux-compatible, they might at one point switch out the RAM or GPU or whatever to a new component, find it isn't compatible/as compatible and armed with their new knowledge, might attempt to contribute to existing driver/write a driver for it.