An easy way for new users to install drivers?
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 11:07 pm
We've often talked about the fact that it's pretty damn frustrating when hardware manufacturers don't release Linux drivers, or refuse to release documentation so we in the Linux community can get our hands dirty and write the drivers ourselves.
But then I'm thinking, even IF the manufacturers provided drivers, how would a newbie, or an "average computer user" go about installing it and getting it working? I've been thinking about this for a few days but then I noticed a new feature in the upcoming SUSE Linux 10.1 called "Kernel Module Packages (KMPs)". Some kernel developers have expressed their concerns that by including non-GPL drivers in the distribution would infringe on their copyright, so Novell have removed the non-GPL-modules package from further distribution in any of their future products, and instead made a new way to actually package the kernel modules.
I just watched a presentation from FOSDEM, where some people from the openSUSE project talk about new stuff in SUSE Linux 10.1, and on the slide their showed, this is mentioned:
" - Kernel Module Packages (KMPs) are a way for anyone to package kernel modules in such a way that they are cleanly handled in case of kernel updates"
This basically means that NVIDIA could make an RPM for SUSE of their driver, and even if SUSE issue a million kernel updates, the thing wouldn't need to be recompiled, reconfigured or anything like that at all. Because if I install the NVIDIA driver from nvidia.com, I need to recompile it's kernel module everytime a "security kernel update" is released which sometimes is annoying. Using this new way, hardware manufacturers that do provide Linux drivers, say NVIDIA and ATi can basically package their drivers and be sure that they will continue to work even though the maintainers of the distro issues whatever updates they do.
In the case of SUSE, driver installation would basically be like this: Download an RPM, right click on it, select Actions then "Install with YaST", type in your root password, wait for the installation to be carried out, and you're all set to go!
I think this is brilliant, I hope other distros will take a look at this, because in my eyes, this could be very very useful in the road to making driver installation a breeze for the average joe, heck this way it would be even eaisier than on Windows!
If you want to see the slide I am refering to, you can find it right here: http://files.opensuse.org/opensuse/en/8 ... _vadis.pdf
KMPs are mentioned on page 10.
Edit: After having spent several more hours watching videos of openSUSE presentations from FOSDEM 2006, I heard that SUSE is working with ATi and NVIDIA to get KMP packages for their drivers available so users can eaisily install them. Normally SUSE provided some scripts that would do the install of the NVIDIA driver, but you wouldn't be able to update the driver with the same ease, this should be possible in the future which sounds very positive to me. Also, future versions of SUSE should be really really good for laptops, as they are dramatically improving the powersaving capabilities, ACPI support, and with the integration of NetworkManager, it makes it even better, good stuff coming next month guys, I smell positive headlines
But then I'm thinking, even IF the manufacturers provided drivers, how would a newbie, or an "average computer user" go about installing it and getting it working? I've been thinking about this for a few days but then I noticed a new feature in the upcoming SUSE Linux 10.1 called "Kernel Module Packages (KMPs)". Some kernel developers have expressed their concerns that by including non-GPL drivers in the distribution would infringe on their copyright, so Novell have removed the non-GPL-modules package from further distribution in any of their future products, and instead made a new way to actually package the kernel modules.
I just watched a presentation from FOSDEM, where some people from the openSUSE project talk about new stuff in SUSE Linux 10.1, and on the slide their showed, this is mentioned:
" - Kernel Module Packages (KMPs) are a way for anyone to package kernel modules in such a way that they are cleanly handled in case of kernel updates"
This basically means that NVIDIA could make an RPM for SUSE of their driver, and even if SUSE issue a million kernel updates, the thing wouldn't need to be recompiled, reconfigured or anything like that at all. Because if I install the NVIDIA driver from nvidia.com, I need to recompile it's kernel module everytime a "security kernel update" is released which sometimes is annoying. Using this new way, hardware manufacturers that do provide Linux drivers, say NVIDIA and ATi can basically package their drivers and be sure that they will continue to work even though the maintainers of the distro issues whatever updates they do.
In the case of SUSE, driver installation would basically be like this: Download an RPM, right click on it, select Actions then "Install with YaST", type in your root password, wait for the installation to be carried out, and you're all set to go!
I think this is brilliant, I hope other distros will take a look at this, because in my eyes, this could be very very useful in the road to making driver installation a breeze for the average joe, heck this way it would be even eaisier than on Windows!
If you want to see the slide I am refering to, you can find it right here: http://files.opensuse.org/opensuse/en/8 ... _vadis.pdf
KMPs are mentioned on page 10.
Edit: After having spent several more hours watching videos of openSUSE presentations from FOSDEM 2006, I heard that SUSE is working with ATi and NVIDIA to get KMP packages for their drivers available so users can eaisily install them. Normally SUSE provided some scripts that would do the install of the NVIDIA driver, but you wouldn't be able to update the driver with the same ease, this should be possible in the future which sounds very positive to me. Also, future versions of SUSE should be really really good for laptops, as they are dramatically improving the powersaving capabilities, ACPI support, and with the integration of NetworkManager, it makes it even better, good stuff coming next month guys, I smell positive headlines