Linux Hardware Databases Merge

Kristopher Kersey writes "The two available online Linux Hardware Databases located at CompHardware.com and LhD.DataPower.com have decided to merge and form a new partnership for Linux hardware information. The new partnership gives LhD.DataPower.com control of the database while giving CompHardware.com control over hardware reviews." Cool! Two (click) two useful Linux hardware sites in one.

Nasty colors

[Anonymous Coward]

Eeek, looks like a nice site content-wise, but it sure could use a little help graphics-wise. Changing the green-on-black to black-on-white would be an excellent first step.

-Tim
Anonymous because /. won't send me a password.

Suggestion

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe someone can hack up Redhat's "hwdiag" utility which autoprobes one hardware to put together a list of devices on the computer and then the user can rate each device on how it functions and the program can email the results to this database. Anything which reduces the effort and automates the work is an improvement.

Re:"Designed for Linux"

[nlucent]

Im starting to see hardware that has linux as a "works with" operating system.
Works With:
SCO
Windows NT
Windows 95
Windows 98
Linux

my linksys pci 10/100 NIC has it listed.

--nrl

Leaving out linuxhardware.net?

[Cardinal]

Granted it focuses on being a knowledge base rather than a strict database, but I thought it deserved a mention [linuxhardware.net].

Linux Compatible Hardware

[drwiii]

Just made this Linux Compatible Hardware logo [min.net] up in about 5 minutes..

It'd be great to be able to see something of the like on new hardware when you buy it. I've lost count of how many times I've walked into a CompUSA and forgot which brands and models of hardware are supported.

and sometimes its just your funny bone

[B ryan Larsen]

A few years ago it happened to me -- the
fourth and fifth fingers of my right hand went
completely numb. Having had friends with CTS,
I went to the doctor immediately. Turned out I
had pinched my funny bone nerve some how (probably
by sleeping in a strange position).

Problem went away in about a week. It still
happens every once in a while, but never as
severely.

Scared me enough that I behave a little bit better now. Programming is not near as intensive
for keyboard use as University was, so I'm not
so worried anymore. (I used to type for spare
cash).

Re:"Designed for Linux"

[ninjaz]

I saw a video capture board at Fry's the other day with Linux printed in big letters on the box. :) With all the hype around Linux lately, I wouldn't be surprised if this started happening a Lot more. Just think. Increase your sales overnight for just the price of a sticker!

With companies like Creative Labs and Neomagic co-operating with Linux vendors to make their stuff work with Linux (even when not enlightened enough to make their hardware open), it's a good sign. If you're going to spend the money for coders, why not mention it?

(For the uninformed - NeoMagic even went on to open up their specs! Yay!)

Re:Big freaking deal

[ninjaz]

Imagine:

Pricewatch in 1 browser Window, the Linux hardware database in another. Or, if you prefer, eBay in 1 browser window and the Linux hardware database in another.

And, the ppl not busy being sarcastic twits can spend a few minutes checking for favorite pieces of Linux-compatible hardware... And, the hardware co's, whose employees read slashdot can go list all of their models that work there. And, the people who run Linux links sites can update their sites. etc.

Irony...

[Chemical Serenity]

You just disagreed about people not agreeing in threads.

Heh.

--
[e-mail] (remove the SPAM-B-GONE bit)

Re:"Designed for Linux"

[ry4an]

Someone made a logo for that awhile ago. It said, "Cool, it works with Linux." IIRC it was white and blue. I recall seeing it on some websites for software, but never in the hardware market for which it was intended.

The more this happens the better

[Drakino]

The more centralized these type of sites become, the easer it will be for everyone to get to the information like this. Thats one nice thing about say OS/2. I can go to IBM's site to find hardware that works with OS/2, but with Linux, I may have to check 4 sites to get what I need.

-----

"Designed for Linux"

[HomerJ]

What would be great is if new hardware vendors put a "Designed for Linux" or at least a "Works with Linux" logo on their packaging. That way, when someone goes to buy something off the shelf, they know it works right away.

I know if I went to buy a 3d card, NIC, etc, and I saw one with the penguin in the corner of the box, I'd get it.

Maybe it could replace those God awful "Designed for Windows" logos =)

Re:"Designed for Linux"

[IntlHarvester]

Brand Name NICs are one of the few pieces of hardware that support almost everything: NDIS DOS drivers, ODI OS/2 drivers, NT 3.5, Netware 3.1, OS/2 1.x, wierd packet drivers -- you name it is on your average NIC disk.

You'd think it'd be a no-brainer to put Linux drivers on the disk, but generally the kernel support for network cards is pretty good, so it's probably unnecessary in most cases.
--

This will increase our influence on manufacturers

[semis]

This is a good thing (tm)!

Currently I'm installing Linux on a new Compaq server with a brand new RAID controller.. I couldn't find it in the Linux hardware DB. So I'm pleased that this merger has come about, im sure that many sysadmins will now find it easier to convice their managers to use Linux now they can combat the "no hardware support" argument.

Let's hope these guys use their combined weight to influence hardware vendors to support their products under Linux!

I think that this is one of the most important things that Linux needs! I hope it becomes a formidable force to be feared by vendors! :)

Great...

[toolj23]

It would also be nice if all those linux tuning pages merged to make a bigger database.

Hope there aren't a lot of mergers to make big sites though... b/c conflicts will arise in them, and we'll have more forking!!

We all already know everyone doesnt agree... look at the slashdot threads!

I hope this works out. It'd be nice to see this type of thing work out.

Re:"Designed for Linux"

[Uart]

i saw an 8-in-one modem for i believe ISP's or BBSs or whatnot, in a catalog, advertized with that logo.

Hear hear!

[timothy]

Lunatic wrote:

"I sure wish some sort of definite, linux consortium could be formed, like for GNOME, whereby ve[n]dors could post and archive their drivers.

It may seem like a small point, but I want to amplify the part about archive! ...

One of the best things about linux is its wide-ranging hardware support (this is true of Free and NetBSD as well, but not as broad) -- being able to set up a system using hardware which would be impractically slow under NT or Win9X is a huge selling point. (Well, 'using point;)')

But when hardware is more than a few years old (and sometimes just more than a year or so) it is often hard to find drivers for it. But if your laser printer, or sound card, or video card, etc. works and you'd like to use it, it's frustrating to be driven to new hardware for lack of a small piece of software.

I appreciate companies that offer long-term value by keeping drivers available, but since most linux drivers are hacked together rather than Officially Released, the idea of an archive for this information is especially important.

Just a thought,

timothy

Unified or Living Force

[El Volio]

Sure, they're unified now -- making life that much easier for those of us who don't usually buy prebuilt Linux computers. But will the database "live"? That is, will they be aggressive in keeping the database as current as possible?

Be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the present. Yeah, it'll make life easier in the present -- not having to search several places -- but let's see what the future holds.

Then again, it can't possibly cause any more fragmentation than we already have.

HW databases for linux in general

[Raving Lunatic]

I sure wish some sort of definite, linux consortium could be formed, like for GNOME, whereby vedors could post and archive their drivers. Perhaps this already exists in one form or another, but it really needs to be *completely* centralized.