Why Drivers are Key to Linux

A few months ago, I was messing around with my Thinkpad, trying to make it fast yet usable. Arch seemed the way to go, but X was uncooperative (note to self: try Arch again). Why? It didn’t get the driver right for my video card. Next up was SliTaz, and after that Ubuntu Server. Both of which wouldn’t recognize my PCMCIA network card (which Arch did). Ubuntu GTK 1.2 Remix also got the wired card down, but no amount of coaxing on my part would convince it to recognize my wireless card. I finally ended up putting Xubuntu on it, which was too slow despite swapping in Fluxbox (which was hideous) for Xfce.

In addition to problems like mine, people have all manner of trouble getting wireless cards, graphics cards and dual monitors to work. And most just give up on extra buttons on laptops (out of the four on my Vaio, only one worked). Forums and IRC are sometimes helpful–and sometimes not. Googling works fairly well for common problems…which are probably less than half of all problems. Unlike Windows, where you can get a 90% success rate by going to the manufacturer’s website and downloading and installing the right driver, there’s no clear method for solving driver problems in Linux. And even if there was, some hardware just doesn’t work in Linux.

Now let’s not get  pessimistic–a lot of things do work, and they work out of the box, no less. Millions of people are having an absolutely charming time with Linux and their hardware. All of my “modern” (made on this side of the year 2000) computers work somewhere between great and flawlessly with some version of Ubuntu (Hardy, Intrepid, Jaunty, Xubuntu, CrunchBang…).

But on the other hand, it is really offputting to not be able to interact with your computer the way you want to.

“Linux is the answer!” people cry. “It even has Skype!”

And the answers:

“That sounds great. But my webcam doesn’t work.”

“Mine does, but my microphone’s out.”

“At least you can connect to the Internet.”

“Yeah, well be happy X doesn’t bork for you, and leave you at a bash prompt.”

A lack of hardware support is limiting people’s ability to properly use (and enjoy) Linux.

It’s like test driving a Ferrari with bad brakes. You should be able to have a nice ride, but you don’t even get to experience it properly since you can’t stop.

And if people were able to use Linux the way it’s meant to be used, they would be able to form a fair opinion on it, developers would be able to focus on real problems, and I would be able to sleep calmly, since I wouldn’t have to put up with idiotic reviews and forum posts that exclusively focus on how badly Linux stinks because it doesn’t work for them.

I can’t wait.

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Further reading: How I think the driver problem should be solved.