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Ubuntu Fails to Impress

I am still puzzled by hardware company's protectiveness of their drivers
By Mark R. Hinkle
Article Rating:
September 13, 2007 02:00 PM EDT
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 11,465
Mark Hinkle's Blog

Okay, that was a catchy title but for the first time in my love affair with Ubuntu have I had an install failure. I tried to install Ubuntu on my Dell Inspirion 1505 and couldn't get X11 to automatically configure. It was very dissappointing. It's really not Ubuntu's fault, it's ATI's because they didn't open source their drivers. So my ATI Mobility x1400 video card wasn't supported by X.org.

AMD has announced that they will be working on a strategy to open source drivers for their ATI hardware including their X1000 series and HD2000 series. It's been a long time coming as any Linux desktop guy knew to go for the nVidia graphics card because they support open source. 

I am still puzzled by hardware company's protectiveness of their drivers are they really that big of a competitive advantage? 

Tags: Ubuntu, Linux Desktop, ATI, Dell, AMD

Published September 13, 2007 – Reads 11,465
Copyright © 2007 SYS-CON Media, Inc. — All Rights Reserved.
Syndicated stories and blog feeds, all rights reserved by the author.

More Stories By Mark R. Hinkle

Mark Hinkle is the Vice President of Community at Zenoss Inc. the maker of the open source application, server, and network management software. He also is along-time open source expert and advocate. He is a co-founder of both the Open Source Management Consortium and the Desktop Linux Consortium. He has served as Editor-in-Chief for both LinuxWorld Magazine and Enterprise Open Source Magazine. Hinkle is also the author of the book, "Windows to Linux Business Desktop Migration" (Thomson, 2006). His blog on open source, technology, and new media can be found at http://www.socializedsoftware.com.

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Most Recent Comments
Anurag 10/14/07 01:52:52 PM EDT

Hi
This is a misleading title. It affects the credibility of the blogger.

Take care.
Anurag
Steve6 09/21/07 03:45:52 PM EDT

"Okay, that was a catchy title..."

Uh, no, not really.

"It's really not Ubuntu's fault, it's ATI's because they didn't open source their drivers."

But hey, let's stick with the "catchy title" regardless, because one, it bashes Linux and two, it'll get more page hits than, "I Don't Have the Drivers I Need".
Mark 09/17/07 11:14:37 AM EDT

Why is the fact that you purchase a system built for Windows (with all the IHV/OEM/OSV relationships in place) and try to repurpose the system for Linux the IHV's fault? Isn't Dell the one that holds the power? Dell has the direct power to make SW drivers a condition of sale for the hardware...
chep 09/13/07 04:08:31 AM EDT

New drivers will be included in Gutsy.
Try [http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/09/10/29517.aspx this one] for now.
Ubuntu News Desk 09/12/07 10:17:25 AM EDT

AMD has announced that they will be working on a strategy to open source drivers for their ATI hardware including their X1000 series and HD2000 series. It's been a long time coming as any Linux desktop guy knew to go for the nVidia graphics card because they support open source. I am still puzzled by hardware company's protectiveness of their drivers are they really that big of a competitive advantage?