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diff --git a/da/hardware/supported-peripherals.xml b/da/hardware/supported-peripherals.xml deleted file mode 100644 index 35fe2ccb6..000000000 --- a/da/hardware/supported-peripherals.xml +++ /dev/null @@ -1,186 +0,0 @@ -<!-- retain these comments for translator revision tracking --> -<!-- original version: 22225 untranslated --> - - <sect1 id="supported-peripherals"> - <title>Peripherals and Other Hardware</title> -<para> - -Linux supports a large variety of hardware devices such as mice, -printers, scanners, PCMCIA and USB devices. However, most of these -devices are not required while installing the system. - -</para><para arch="x86"> - -USB hardware generally works fine, only some -USB keyboards may require additional configuration -(see <xref linkend="usb-keyboard-config"/>). - -</para><para arch="x86"> - -Again, see the -<ulink url="&url-hardware-howto;">Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO</ulink> -to determine whether your specific hardware is supported by Linux. - -</para><para arch="s390"> - -Package installations from XPRAM and tape are not supported by this -system. All packages that you want to install need to be available on a -DASD or over the network using NFS, HTTP or FTP. - -</para><para arch="mips"> - -The Broadcom BCM1250 evaluation board offers standard 3.3v 32 bit and 64 -bit PCI slots as well as USB connectors. - -</para><para arch="mipsel"> - -The Broadcom BCM1250 evaluation board offers standard 3.3v 32 bit and 64 -bit PCI slots as well as USB connectors. The Cobalt RaQ has no support for -additional devices but the Qube has one PCI slot. - -</para> -</sect1> - - <sect1 arch="not-s390"><title>Purchasing Hardware Specifically for GNU/Linux</title> - -<para> - -There are several vendors, who ship systems with Debian or other -distributions of GNU/Linux -<ulink url="&url-pre-installed;">pre-installed</ulink>. You might pay more -for the privilege, but it does buy a level of peace of mind, since you can -be sure that the hardware is well-supported by GNU/Linux. - -</para><para arch="m68k"> - -Unfortunately, it's quite rare to find any vendor shipping -new &arch-title; machines at all. - -</para><para arch="x86"> - -If you do have to buy a machine with Windows bundled, carefully read -the software license that comes with Windows; you may be able to -reject the license and obtain a rebate from your vendor. See -<ulink url="&url-windows-refund;"></ulink> for complete details. - -</para><para> - -Whether or not you are purchasing a system with Linux bundled, or even -a used system, it is still important to check that your hardware is -supported by the Linux kernel. Check if your hardware is listed in -the references found above. Let your salesperson (if any) know that -you're shopping for a Linux system. Support Linux-friendly hardware -vendors. - -</para> - - <sect2><title>Avoid Proprietary or Closed Hardware</title> -<para> - -Some hardware manufacturers simply won't tell us how to write drivers -for their hardware. Others won't allow us access to the documentation -without a non-disclosure agreement that would prevent us from -releasing the Linux source code. - -</para><para arch="m68k"> - -Another example is the proprietary hardware in the older -Macintosh line. In fact, no specifications or documentation have ever -been released for any Macintosh hardware, most notably the ADB -controller (used by the mouse and keyboard), the floppy controller, -and all acceleration and CLUT manipulation of the video hardware -(though we do now support CLUT manipulation on nearly all internal -video chips). In a nutshell, this explains why the Macintosh Linux -port lags behind other Linux ports. - -</para><para> - -Since we haven't been granted access to the documentation on these -devices, they simply won't work under Linux. You can help by asking -the manufacturers of such hardware to release the documentation. If -enough people ask, they will realize that the free software community -is an important market. - -</para> -</sect2> - - - <sect2 arch="x86"><title>Windows-specific Hardware</title> -<para> - -A disturbing trend is the proliferation of Windows-specific modems and -printers. In some cases these are specially designed to be operated by -the Microsoft Windows operating system and bear the legend -``WinModem'' or ``Made especially for Windows-based computers''. This -is generally done by removing the embedded processors of the hardware -and shifting the work they do over to a Windows driver that is run by -your computer's main CPU. This strategy makes the hardware less -expensive, but the savings are often <emphasis>not</emphasis> passed on to the -user and this hardware may even be more expensive than equivalent -devices that retain their embedded intelligence. - -</para><para> - -You should avoid Windows-specific hardware for two reasons. The first -is that the manufacturers do not generally make the resources -available to write a Linux driver. Generally, the hardware and -software interface to the device is proprietary, and documentation is -not available without a non-disclosure agreement, if it is available -at all. This precludes its being used for free software, since free -software writers disclose the source code of their programs. The -second reason is that when devices like these have had their embedded -processors removed, the operating system must perform the work of the -embedded processors, often at <emphasis>real-time</emphasis> priority, -and thus the CPU is not available to run your programs while it is -driving these devices. Since the typical Windows user does not -multi-process as intensively as a Linux user, the manufacturers hope -that the Windows user simply won't notice the burden this hardware -places on their CPU. However, any multi-processing operating system, -even Windows 2000 or XP, suffers from degraded performance when -peripheral manufacturers skimp on the embedded processing power of -their hardware. - -</para><para> - -You can help this situation by encouraging these manufacturers to -release the documentation and other resources necessary for us to -program their hardware, but the best strategy is simply to avoid this -sort of hardware until it is listed as working in the -<ulink url="&url-hardware-howto;">Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO</ulink>. - -</para> -</sect2> - - - <sect2 id="Parity-RAM"> - <title>Fake or <quote>Virtual</quote> Parity RAM</title> -<para> - -If you ask for Parity RAM in a computer store, you'll probably get -<emphasis>virtual parity</emphasis> memory modules instead of -<emphasis>true parity</emphasis> ones. Virtual parity SIMMs can often -(but not always) be distinguished because they only have one more chip -than an equivalent non-parity SIMM, and that one extra chip is smaller -than all the others. Virtual-parity SIMMs work exactly like non-parity -memory. They can't tell you when you have a single-bit RAM error the -way true-parity SIMMs do in a motherboard that implements -parity. Don't ever pay more for a virtual-parity SIMM than a -non-parity one. Do expect to pay a little more for true-parity SIMMs, -because you are actually buying one extra bit of memory for every 8 -bits. - -</para><para> - -If you want complete information on &arch-title; RAM issues, and what -is the best RAM to buy, see the -<ulink url="&url-pc-hw-faq;">PC Hardware FAQ</ulink>. - -</para><para arch="alpha"> - -Most, if not all, Alpha systems require true-parity RAM. - -</para> - - </sect2> - - </sect1> |