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On Tuesday 28 September 2004 20:58, Neil Williams wrote:
On Tuesday 28 September 2004 8:22 pm, Sadie Brinham wrote:I understand it is a nightmare finding Linux modem drivers.It's getting better slowly, but it's not easy.Linux Format or Linux User and Developer magazine had a website address where one could track down manufacturers that supply modem drivers for Linux. Shall I go and download a job lot of the most common modem drivers?(Burn onto discs for the meet?)No, there'd be too many and you'd have the same problems of matching the driver with the modem. Use the wrong one and you could damage the modem. Even without that, it could take weeks to test each driver in turn.I know Speedtouch supply Linux drivers,and have an old Speedtouch USB modem that I could use to perform a test run.Try loading the drivers on various distros-see if any dependencies/errors get thrown up?A throw-everything at it approach isn't the best. There are sites that can scan your modem and recommend the best driver. http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/#scanmodem http://www.dclug.org.uk/wiki/?id=documentation Linux on Laptops (http://www.linux-laptop.net)It's easy to forget that not everyone connects via NAT router.I can just imagine how gutted these new-users we hope to take under the GNU/Linux wing would be if they couldn't get their wonderful new O.S connected to the net.We've all been there - the archive has messages from my little escapade with linmodems: http://www.dclug.org.uk/archive/2002/11/msg00005.html http://www.dclug.org.uk/archive/2002/11/msg00036.htmlBeing immediately confronted by such an advent on an alien system would send many of them running straight back to Windows.Unfortunately, this is the fault of the manufacturers. The simplest solution is to recommend buying an external modem. It's actually a lot less heartache.Perhaps it would be an idea to download specific drivers then and there,assuming people know their specs?It's a huge area, it couldn't be covered in one go.Or at least print a small how-to leaflet?http://www.linmodems.org There is so much information required to solve these problems, we have to rely on alternative connections and multiple reboots. It's not pleasant and it's not fun - it's not even guaranteed to work - but it's all we've got.It seems obvious to you experienced users,but Linux speaks an unfamiliar language to a person booting a Linux box for the first time in their lives.We were all newbies once, we've all struggled with the same problems - it's frustrating that two or three years after I had to do it, the same problems keep appearing and the solutions are just as difficult, awkward and unfriendly.We should assume that RPMs and unpacking tarballs will be seen as difficult and daunting.Particularly when it is demanded immediately-as it will be in the case of Internet connectivity.Agreed - the only bright light on the horizon is that eventually dial-up will become a minority activity and provided people don't listen to the adverts and buy a broadband router and not a broadband modem, we'll all be better off. In the meantime, it's back to either: a) dual-boot b) external modem.
O.K.It was just an idea. Sadie -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the message body to unsubscribe.