USB Wireless Stick?
Does anyone know of a inexpensive USB Wireless stick that is supported with a Free Software driver? I don't think my laptop has a card port. I think it needs a USB stick.
Thank GNU.
You asked the same question and got an answer in another topic: http://trisquel.info/en/forum/dell-wireless-question#comment-5609
Yeah I posted a link here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122272&Tpk=WG111
Didn't realize that I got an answers yet, and thought the specific headline could be useful for people searching for this type of stuff.
Is this really freedom supported? I have a netgear USB stick that does not work on a Free Software System without using a free software compatibility layer to run the non-free windows binary driver. Have they sense re-licesned their driver or is it different for different models of the netgear hardware? How do I know whether my netgear usb is the correct one or not? Thank GNU.
I have no idea what model you have. I can verify the one I linked works. Firstly it is on the FSF website (http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/index_html/net/wireless/index_html/cards.html). Secondly I own the stick for myself and can verify it runs on fresh installs of gnewsense and trisquel (no non-free software) so they must work with free drivers.
Mine is a WPN111. It appears to not work on Beta 4.0 Trsiquel. I used to get it working on gNewSense by loading its non-free driver off of cd and using a windows driver compatibility layer.It's a little grey stick by netgear that looks almost exactly like the one in the link you've sent me. So, basically, I'm being told that I have to buy mostly the same product over again because this specific model does not have a free driver. Not specifically angry, just kinda ticked off because this would be the second or third wireless device I've gone through that is not supported. The list of those supported is somewhat small, and that makes getting a good deal hard to do. Especially when people buy things for me.Hopefully I can sell the old one to make enough money to buy the new. But I doubt someone will pay 14.99.Was hoping they freed their drivers on a newer kernel release or something. Because it the answer is as easy as compiling a new kernel from source I've done that and it's not a problem. Spending money is the hard thing... Then people are going to look at me like I don't really know what I'm doing because I'm buying a wireless USB stick for a laptop that has it built in. If I try to tell them its because of freedom, I think many of them will likely just shake their head because it is still kind of odd and strange to have this set up.And, again, it's difficult buying a laptop and getting everything working. That has wireless, but no 3D. That has 3D, but not wireless. That one over there has no sound driver. To find one laptop that can do it all with free drivers is a nightmare.
:( Sorry I don't know about your financial situation. For me I made the decision that I'd rather spend $9.99 (it was on sale when I got it. That was a very good deal for the price of freedom and not having to use a non-free driver.
If I was in your shoes and did end up getting the stick I linked and people commented I would use that as an opportunity. If they asked about it use that as an opportunity to educate them. If they do like you said and "shake their head" well you know the saying "Haters are gonna hate."
What are you looking for the 3d for? Gaming or eye candy like compiz?
I look for 3D for both. To be honest, so far at least, the integrated intel graphics on my new dell studio are doing pretty well. Some textures are a little blinky on some Nexuiz levels, but otherwise many of them work rather well and I can do far more things than I used to.I'm a gamer, and thus a system without 3D is not acceptable. That is why I did make sure to get the hardware that would be likely to allow it for me this time around.I know I should use it as an educational opportunity. I am also sorry for being a little snippy. I just get frustrated with it all sometimes and am not always the best advocate that I should be. I donate to the FSF and gave a speech about it in my college speech class. My good deeds are done, so I don't necessarily feel like I have to be the constant evangelist. But, perhaps I should be.
Hey no problem on being "snipy" It's really frustrating when hardware that you paid for doesn't work. Maybe we should try try to organize and get companies like Nvidia and ATI to free their drivers. Personally I don't think they would love any competitive edge by doing that.
I am a translator!
As far as I know, the Free Software Foundation already puts pressure on these companies. The problem is that our movement is still too small and remote to accomplish a great deal of change. If Free Software can be advocated to the point that it is a household phrase, then hardware manufacturers will be more likely to comply.
I'd say your wireless doesn't work because, the wireless compat package hasn't been added to Trisquel 4 Beta yet. It says "Known Bugs ..... Drivers * wireless-compat package pending"http://trisquel.info/en/wiki/taranis-developmentI've found a wireless USB stick for £5 plus delivery, the web site says it works with "Linux". That doesn't mean it will work with GNU/Linux free software drivers.It's at Choice Buy shop online. I haven't used the stick or the shop, but they also sell on Amazon so should be OK: http://choicebuy.co.uk/browse/index/Electronics/Wireless_Adaptors/p590The manufacturing company is LM Technologies, web site: http://www.lm-technologies.com/business/wireless-networking/LM001/wi-fi-usb-adapter-gTheres a Linux Installation Manual on the web site. Although that just gives info on their own driver and how to compile it.
Thank GNU. Hopefully, then, this means it will be fixed when 4.0 goes stable? Maybe I'll look into compiling. Should the drivers already be in the linux libre kernel if I get the newest source? My old laptop user the ath9k driver and I was able to make sure, ahead of time, that it would compile the driver. It think it was under network devices, drivers, wireless, or something like that. It's been a handfull of months sense last compiling a kernel.Or, are these drivers their own thing outside the kernel source? If so, maybe it's better I just wait for Trisquel 4.0 to go stable. Which, if I remember correctly, they hope to have done sometime this month.