Desktop Linux needs drivers. Right? Of course. So why is Novell's Greg Kroah-Hartman, a Linux kernel developer and head of the Linux Driver Project, having to ask people to tell him about devices that need drivers?
It's a good question, and Kroah-Hartman doesn't have the complete answer. What he does know, as he explained in his blog, is that while the Linux Driver Project now has "over 300 different developers signed up to help create and maintain Linux drivers," at the same time he doesn't have "enough work to keep them busy."
The problem is that even though Kroah-Hartman and his developers are willing to sign NDAs (nondisclosure agreements) for companies that are reluctant to open up their devices to open source, businesses are still hanging back. "What we need now is more companies participating in the project," Kroah-Hartman said.
He also wondered if the problem of Linux device drivers has been overstated: "I don't currently know of any common piece of hardware in use today that is not supported on Linux. And since these vendors do not know, and I don't, I'm asking the world to help out," he said.
Kroah-Hartman asked the Linux Foundation, which has made improved driver support No. 3 on its Linux to-do list, "Specifically what devices did they see in common use that are not supported by Linux (the obvious two video cards [ATI and Nvidia] being a known exception.) Despite this being such a high priority for this group, they had no examples to provide."
It's not just the Linux Foundation; users, as can be seen in early results from the Linux Foundation's continuing Linux desktop survey, also want better driver support. Specifically, they want better support for printers, scanners, USB storage and Wi-Fi devices.
All that said, in mid-October, the Linux Driver Project developers were only working on six projects. Today, only one more project is currently being worked on.
So if you want a specific device that doesn't work on Linux to be properly supported on Linux, Kroah-Hartman would appreciate it if you would mark up the project's Drivers Needed wiki page with the details. Or, for that matter, he encourages you to just e-mail him with your suggestion.
Kroah-Hartman concluded, "If patterns emerge, I'll approach the companies and ask them if they will work with us. Hopefully with your help, we can find some work for these 310 developers to do!"
