Hardware support category

There are lot of people having troubles syncing their devices (pda, smartphones, etc.) with ubuntu. At this poing there is only one solution available, multisync, and works for only a few devices, and it's very limited on their functions.

And I think, this is a very important point for lots of people.

**Suggestions from duplicate idea 397 work on that idea :

1) Clean up the Opensync and SyncML plugin packages to work properly with Evolution by default.

2) Set up an official Ubuntu SyncML server for Ubuntu users.

3) Possibly clean up open source SyncML clients for the different mobile platforms.

I have a Logitech LX-710 keyboard with a bunch of extra function keys, most of which I cannot program. I had a different keyboard before this one and the same was true. I can program the audio keys (which work by default) and the calculator key, but most others do not work. It would be great if Linux would generate scan codes for those extra keys so I could assign commands to them. The same is true of special mouse buttons.

One program I tried works with non-USB keyboards but claimed that kernel support was required for USB keyboards. Strangely, Enlightment recognizes quite a few more of the extra keys than Gnome does.

Improve the compatibility with the sounds cards, for example Realtek has drivers for linux you can integrate them like in ubuntu with the graphic drivers (restricted drivers of nvidia and ati).

http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=24&PFid=24 &Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false#2

I have a laptop that I have Kubuntu installed on. It works great when I'm using it as a laptop. But at the office, I have a docking station that hooks my laptop up to an external keyboard, monitor, power supply, network, speakers, and basically turns my laptop into a desktop computer. However, my external monitor is 4:3, while my laptop monitor is widescreen, so every time I plug in, I have to change my monitor settings (resolution and screen size), and then change them back when I switch back to laptop mode. It would be really nice if it could do this detection automatically, or be able to set up settings for a second monitor that I could switch back and forth.

I'm sure a similar problem occurs with projectors, but I haven't had a chance to confirm that.

My printer, a Laserjet 1200, is pretty common and is supported by Ubuntu automatically. But I rarely print from it because it stretches my print output, vertically. For example, I have a table in OpenOffice Calc, as a to-do list organized by both importance and urgency, set up to print exactly in a certain way from OpenOffice on Windows XP. But when I open the same document on my Ubuntu computer, it prints stretched out more vertically, so that it doesn't all fit on one sheet. This is printing to the same exact printer. This seems to be the same with other programs.

There should be a hardware compatibility tool that a user can run to determine how compatible their hardware is with Ubuntu or Gobuntu and also whether there is non-native support for it. People are lazy and will want to know whether it will work before even trying the LiveCD.

An online Ubuntu PC hardware store is what people (aka "masses") need to fully make the jump to Ubuntu. Sell the hardware "known to work" (pre-installed Ubuntu computers and peripherals) and support those manufacturers who actually care about Linux compatibility.

when you purchase a Mac you know everything is compatible and everything you purchase at a APPLE STORE also is tested and works 100% with Mac OS.

but when you try Ubuntu on your own, there is always a risk that many of your hardware/peripherals may not work. The worst problem is YOU DON'T KNOW where to Purchase compatible hardware to FIX your problem.

If you can't fix your problem, then you are back once more in Windows... (be it a dialup modem, Usb modem, wireless card, bluetooth, printer, scanner, videocard, webcam, etc)

you always have the community to help + the guys at http://www.phoronix.com/ have always pitched in this area, but is not enough.

We need 100% Ubuntu compatible and tested hardware by canonical themselves to be sold online. Only sell what works (there is no need to test all the hardware in the world)

this would create a real market demand for "Linux compatible" hardware from manufacturers.

we can't support every piece of hardware like we have been doing, we need to support what WORKS NOW!

If this is implemented a few other good things will happen:

1- Less forums posts like these: "i can't get XXXX hardware to work, why doesn't it work! i got working hardware in windows or mac, ubuntu sucks blah blah"


[....]

Make installation of 64-bit on desktop easier. There are many obstructions such a Flash, Opera, Skype etc. And many MANY others...

Many users still use 32-bit Ubuntu just because they scare - complicated setup of 64-bit means less users > Less desktop users means less topics at support phorums > less help > more (unsolved) problems for new 64-bit users.

All new computers are 64-bit (Intel/AMD). Be more oriented to new "standard" desktop computers and take the advantages!

Yes, it's a 64-bit world ;-)

The point here is that Drivers manager should not only download restricted drivers, but it should solve all hardware-related issues where possible. I mean, it should recognize your hardware and download all the drivers available in the repos for you - when the drivers needed aren't on the install CD.

We have dual-core, and quad-core processors now, how much are we taking advantage of this additional power. Also we could provide better development tools to take advantage of multi-core processors.

OSS should lead the way in parallel processing, not just playing catch-up. We still don't even take advantage of the fact that most modern processors are now 32/64 hybrid. OS X can run 32/64/PPC(Rosetta) architecture all on the same box. Yes it is difficult, but a discussion should be started on what kind of work could be done in this area.


http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20080318corp.htm?iid=pr1_releas epri_20080318r (Cred: jespdj)

The restricted driver manager is a quite good utility, especially for new users. But often the automatic driver installation process gets useless if the used video card is not supported by the old driver in the ubuntu repository. The User has to download the new driver from the vendor's website and install it manually. This causes several problems, most irritating might be the required reinstall on kernel updates, not to speak of the lack of comfort for the average user.
And it's not only the support of new hardware, also new features are introduced with newer driver versions (e.g. AIGLX in the fglrx one).
So I think, these drivers should be updated by the update manager, too.

The hardware information tool in ubuntu is awesome...but I would love to have a basic button there which just hides all that /Proc like info & just tell me about my hardware categorised on hardware type type

This has happened to me many times, and just today it came to bite a friend of mine who was earnestly giving a try to Ubuntu...and renounced after losing his graphical interface except for bulletx. The problem is simple: sometimes kernel updates are released hours or even days before the restricted drivers packages are updated too (read: recompiled and packaged for new kernel). As a result, obviously, when the system is restarted the graphical driver does not function anymore.
And I am sure that it can happen also with other drivers.

The solution? One of two; either:

the kernel packages are completely held back until ANY AND ALL restricted drivers packages are updated (which is already done in Hardy, to be honest, considering that so far I have done three or four kernel updates and alwyas I saw in contemporary a new, repckaged nvidia-glx-new), or:

the update-manager program should check if any restricted drivers are installed, check if they are up-to-date with the kernel update, and in case they are not, blacklist the kernel updates until such a time when updating is secure.

I think this feature is quite a must; most users in the future are not even going to check what they are going to update at all; and it is sure to turn many people off Ubuntu if they suddenly find their boxes without graphical, or network (potentially even worse considering we have bulletproof X!) support.

Sell Ubuntu keyboards usb and bluetooth in white, black and aluminium.

It is quite uncomfortable to configure Synaptics touchpads.

First you have to install gsynaptics (or a similar program like qsynaptics), which is quite easy.

But after you have done that, you have to configure the xorg.conf (SHMConfig true).

If you have a look in the new xorg.conf provided by hardy, there are no entries for the touchpad anymore. So the full touchpad configuration has to be inserted manually.

I suggest that the configuration of the touchpad should be more easy.

It would be more comfortable for new users, if they do not need to configure the xorg.conf.

It is a good idea to power off USB Flash Drive (switch off drive light) after unmount.

I have a Logitech Mx510 mouse.

It has a backwards and a forwards key on the side. In Windows these keys can be used to navigate backward and forward in the browser and file manager.

In Ubuntu these buttons are detected but have no effect in Firefox and Nautilus. Please make these buttons work by default in these applications.

Today the usage of a GPS-Device isn't easy in Ubuntu. There should be an auto-detection for GPS-Devices ..like Printers and Bluetooth-Devices. It would be very cool to track myself with tools from the standard-installation. Only the basic GPS-information are needed: positions, altitude, speed and tracking (positions-with-time). Thanks.

Release 8.04 (hardy) contains tools for checking and reporting hardware compatibility (System Tools → Hardware Testing).

This is good start. Thanks for it! However I am missing few important questions. Many people are begging for suspend/hibernate support and sound recording fixes. Following questions will help to determine problematic hardware.

Is suspend mode working?
Is hibernate working?
Is sound recording working?

One of the suggestions powertop (a tool that helps to save battery power) told me is to turn off my notebook's bluetooth when it is not being used.
"Disable the unused bluetooth interface with the following command:
hciconfig hci0 down; rmmod hci_usb"

I think it would be nice to have a way to turn off/on bluetooth graphically using bluetooth applet.