Re: Linux in a binary world... a doomsday scenario

Miles Bader
2005-12-09T05:49:21Z

Dirk Steuwer <dirk@steuwer.de> writes:
> Ideally, there should be a label "designed for Linux" (or "designed for
> free software" (maybe getting the bsd people on board as well?))
> straight on the box. So customers that start to care about linux, can
> see this right away and make the right choice, when buying hardware.

The last bit of hardware I bought, a super-cheapo NIC (for use with an
ADSL modem), prominently stated it was "linux compatible". Morever, all
the other brands of super-cheapo NIC alongside it on the shelf did the
same thing; they all used the defacto linux logo -- the chubby penguin --
on the front of the box to indicate this, next to the windows logo to.

The fine print on the side of the box said something to the effect of
"linux driver is included with OS, not in box" (whereas a floppy with
windows driver was in the box).

I dunno, maybe there's something weird about NICs or something...
I suppose for them it's a no-brainer, since they generally know their
stuff will just work in linux, and the only cost to them is someone to
insert the logo in the box art. Also, since competition among low-end
brands like that is probably ferocious, even a little marketing advantage
is probably worth persuing.

[But in my experience, it's certainly not _unusual_ to see "linux
compatible" on random consumer hardware boxes these days (I live in Tokyo
though; maybe the market's a bit different here than where you live).]

-Miles
--
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.