Who Should I talk to?

buzzawak · 1285

buzzawak

  • Newbie
  • *
    • Posts: 7
    • Karma: +0/-0
on: September 26, 2019, 06:19:27 PM
Installed ICaros on my Asus x55vd laptop with a Qualcomm Atheros AR8161 Ethernet card and Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 wireless card.
Tried all the drivers in the hope one would work, but no luck.

A suggestion is to use a Netgear WG111v3 dongle realtek8180.device driver

I guess that is one way to resolve the problem in the short term.
The Asus laptop I have (X55VD) only has two USB ports (close together), because of the width of the WG111v3, it would render the second port inaccessible.

I don't know much about programming but the network card drivers are available for Linux so I assume the source code is also available.

Would it be possible to port it over and how much effort would that take? 



magorium

  • Legendary Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 632
    • Karma: +62/-0
  • Convicted non contributor
Reply #1 on: September 26, 2019, 07:29:44 PM
I don't know much about programming but the network card drivers are available for Linux so I assume the source code is also available.
The fact that Linux (or any other OS for that matter) has a driver for your specific kind of hardware does not necessarily mean that the source-code is available. Although the generic consensus is to use open source drivers in Linux as much as possible, sometimes a hardware manufacturer does not play nice and only provide so called (closed source) blobs.

Wireless (network) drivers are a pita.

Quote
Would it be possible to port it over and how much effort would that take?
Yes it is always possible. How much efforts depends.

Most people asking a similar question like you do seem to usually forget (not putting you to blame there) that a developer needs to have the time (and motivation) but more importantly the exact same hardware for which the driver has to be written.

If you add the lack of developers (in numbers) to that then it is therefor a lot more convienent to go with the flow with regards to hardware selection and don't rely on (too) exotic hardware. Every minute of a developer spent at adding support for (yet another) network driver would take away time for what i would personally consider more urgent matters.

As a suggestion with regards to blocking your other USB port i would suggest to perhaps try an extension cable ?
« Last Edit: September 26, 2019, 08:17:20 PM by magorium »