From d4da725fe907626045dc825ea15399386a298d59 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Frans Pop Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 16:37:05 +0000 Subject: Do same restructuring for XML-based translations and unfuzzy --- nl/hardware/buying-hardware.xml | 156 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ nl/hardware/hardware-supported.xml | 2 +- nl/hardware/hardware.xml | 2 +- nl/hardware/network-cards.xml | 2 +- nl/hardware/supported-peripherals.xml | 2 +- 5 files changed, 160 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) create mode 100644 nl/hardware/buying-hardware.xml (limited to 'nl/hardware') diff --git a/nl/hardware/buying-hardware.xml b/nl/hardware/buying-hardware.xml new file mode 100644 index 000000000..ac9d0f732 --- /dev/null +++ b/nl/hardware/buying-hardware.xml @@ -0,0 +1,156 @@ + + + + + Peripherals and Other Hardware + + +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. + + + +USB hardware generally works fine, only some +USB keyboards may require additional configuration +(see ). + + + +Again, see the +Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO +to determine whether your specific hardware is supported by Linux. + + + +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. + + + +The Broadcom BCM91250A evaluation board offers standard 3.3v 32 bit and 64 +bit PCI slots as well as USB connectors. The Broadcom BCM91480B evaluation +board features four 64 bit PCI slots. + + + +The Broadcom BCM91250A evaluation board offers standard 3.3v 32 bit and 64 +bit PCI slots as well as USB connectors. The Broadcom BCM91480B evaluation +board features four 64 bit PCI slots. The Cobalt RaQ has no support for +additional devices but the Qube has one PCI slot. + + + + + Purchasing Hardware Specifically for GNU/Linux + + + +There are several vendors, who ship systems with Debian or other +distributions of GNU/Linux +pre-installed. 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. + + + +Unfortunately, it's quite rare to find any vendor shipping +new &arch-title; machines at all. + + + +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. Searching +the Internet for windows refund may get you some useful +information to help with that. + + + +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. + + + + Avoid Proprietary or Closed Hardware + + +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. + + + +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. + + + +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. + + + + + + Windows-specific Hardware + + +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 not passed on to the +user and this hardware may even be more expensive than equivalent +devices that retain their embedded intelligence. + + + +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 it 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 real-time 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. + + + +You can help improve 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 +Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO. + + + + diff --git a/nl/hardware/hardware-supported.xml b/nl/hardware/hardware-supported.xml index 423b33ef2..7648085e0 100644 --- a/nl/hardware/hardware-supported.xml +++ b/nl/hardware/hardware-supported.xml @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ - + Supported Hardware diff --git a/nl/hardware/hardware.xml b/nl/hardware/hardware.xml index 166cb9ab1..798fe2cad 100644 --- a/nl/hardware/hardware.xml +++ b/nl/hardware/hardware.xml @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ - + System Requirements diff --git a/nl/hardware/network-cards.xml b/nl/hardware/network-cards.xml index ad65cdf36..e833d1587 100644 --- a/nl/hardware/network-cards.xml +++ b/nl/hardware/network-cards.xml @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ - + Network Connectivity Hardware diff --git a/nl/hardware/supported-peripherals.xml b/nl/hardware/supported-peripherals.xml index ac9d0f732..88dbdbd8d 100644 --- a/nl/hardware/supported-peripherals.xml +++ b/nl/hardware/supported-peripherals.xml @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ - + Peripherals and Other Hardware -- cgit v1.2.3