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Idea #5555: Researching new technologies sooner

Written by Auzy the 24 Mar 08 at 02:59. Category: Hardware support. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
A team focused on researching support for new types of hardware devices should be started.

I find that linux developers in general always tend to wait for announced hardware, or until hardware becomes popular before adding general support for it. The issue is, that because most companies wont announce the existance of a new type of product until close to release date, we are always behind in support, because we never even have the infrastructure for it.

Some examples of technologies we should design an infrastructure for now are: Android mobiles, Multitouch, 3D printing, acellerometers and 3D projection. And there are plenty more which we should at least start coding proper libs for, so it doesn't break down into a bunch of adhoc drivers, and utilities that aren't universal.


Many people say "we should work on more important things". Like what? Making gnome look prettier? Thats all great, until manufacturers realise we don't have the infrastructure for the hardware they were thinking of designing, so they wont bother with us, because it will take months before programs could use it even with drivers (so they may as well just focus on the most popular platform).


Lets jump the gun, and start being the best at supporting NEWER hardware, and not just older hardware. If we don't do this, hardware in linux will never be truly "plug and play", instead, it will remain "plug and pray".

If we have an awesome infrastructure for cutting edge technologies, we will have something to brag about, and software developers will see linux as the best at supporting technologies in a generic manner.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #5555
Written by Auzy the 24 Mar 08 at 02:59.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #5555 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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Eldmannen wrote on the 24 Mar 08 at 03:34
Most important devices for us are graphics, audio, network and wireless.

Android mobiles, Multitouch, 3D printing, acellerometers and 3D projection will still in 10 years probably be used by less than 1% of people.

Auzy wrote on the 24 Mar 08 at 03:47
Android mobiles will likely be used by alot next year..

Multitouch Apple is already starting to use

3D printing is probably being used more worldwide then Ubuntu on PPC (and fab@home is only model 1 still, model 2 you'd expect it to have a usable resolution).

And 3D projection, cinemas have started using it quite a bit now.

So 10 years off is certainly a overestimate. Some of this stuff may take off as early as next year.

And accellerometers are being used in a lot of laptops already..

Even if its only being used by 0.5, thats a lot of people.

vexorian wrote on the 24 Mar 08 at 04:59
Yes, you are right. The devs must use their time and resources to write imaginary drivers to support, in theory hardware devices that were not released yet.


Auzy wrote on the 24 Mar 08 at 05:48
Look, I know your a angry man, but I'm not saying that..

I'm saying:

Accellerometers: Work on a library and API to support them, and have the drivers interact directly with that library (many of these exist). Developing a good API now, means developers can support all of them in a simple manner later on, otherwise people will start making their own libs just for individual ones.

Android: check the specs and start working on progs to integrate with the phones

3D printers: We don't need drivers, we code the API for interacting with the printers, and a framework. So a standard format for sending the mesh and textures to the printers with, etc.

Multitouch: Libraries to handle multiple touch points, and physics of the motions on there


Even without devices to test with, having API's to interact with them means we could start getting stuff ready now.


Auzy wrote on the 24 Mar 08 at 06:13
I'll also say, look at Microsoft surface. Microsoft obviously didn't do what we like to do and wait on that one

elisee wrote on the 24 Mar 08 at 20:41
Multi-pointer X is the way to go concerning multi-touch device. So "we"'re not behind on this.

HDave wrote on the 4 Apr 08 at 15:33
-1 Too Generic.

Warbo wrote on the 20 May 08 at 17:35
I agree with this as far as my understanding of it goes.

My understanding is that limitations which could be a problem in the future should be noticed and carefully removed/abstracted away. For instance, developers seeing more multitouch/multiple input devices being researched take a look at X and see that it is limited in this area, and thus work on MPX to remove any future problems before they arise (a stitch in time saves nine).

Compare the MPX situation with multiple screens in X, it seems that if X had multiple screen support worked in before multiple screens became common then there would be less incompatibility due to competing approaches and applications wouldn't have to support all of them individually, etc. Multiple input has been available on PCs at least as long as USB mice (since as many USB mice can be plugged in as a user likes) but with MPX there is a clear 'right' way of doing things so the future looks like it will be a smooth ride.

There will always be limitations and assumptions in code, but in a rapidly changing world situations where some assumptions no longer hold should be anticipated and worked on to prevent major headaches.

LC всадник cbet wrote on the 20 May 08 at 20:38
Google is in a way promoting the use of open source with the android they`re also offering a 10 million prize for the best applet, so perhaps brainstormers could come up with the best original idea and take this prize for Ubuntu.


Auzy wrote on the 21 May 08 at 01:30
If I won the 10 million dollars, I wouldn't donate it to canonical..

LC всадник cbet wrote on the 21 May 08 at 02:28
I`m accepting donations too lol! one million will be enough.

But canonical could put a project and "compete" for that money.

notyetroot wrote on the 10 Aug 08 at 18:02
+1. We need to be ahead of Windows. Remember not to abandon 'legacy' (I hate that word, why can't you just say 'old'?) support in the process though.


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