I can't find Linux drivers for all my hardware

[Aloone_Jonez]

quote:Originally posted by insomnia:


Could you give a list of what you think you have that isn't compatible.
Ps: In a new topic (without the "Linsux" parts).

Sure:

Graphics card:
Chip Type: S3 ProSavage DDB
DAC Type: S3 SDAC
Memory Size: 32MB
Adapter String: S3 Compatible Display Adapter
Bios Version: 78.60.00.10

Linux uses a generic driver, I managed obtain acceptable  desktop performance by disabling all the eye candy and using a simple Windows theme. Performance is comparable to XP with all the crappy effects on, however as I have these shit XP effects turned off, the accelerated XP driver is really fast and it leaves Linux far behind.

3D graphics are fast in XP, and pathetically piss poor in Linux, this doesn't only go for the games, but 3D screen savers and 3D objects in openoffice also render slowly, often with many  glitches.

I know most of you will tell me about how much faster Linux is compared to XP, this may be true on your system, but this isn't the case on mine.  

   

quote:Originally posted by WMD:
Well, the S3 is certainly not an nVidia card.

S3 as a company ceases to exist.  So, the generic S3 driver is probably your best bet, unless the manufacturer of your particular card has a driver.  Go to the Device Manager in Windows, what's the name the of the card itself?  (Or, look at the stuff that came with your computer.)

I hope a more suitable Linux driver is available, and I know it is possible to have fast graphics with generic a generic driver:
http://forum.microsuck.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000049&p=
The driver they use is faster, even though it's more generic than my S3 driver, it's VESA, someone just needs to write one for Linux in ASM.

printer/scanner combination:
Lexmark X74
I have located a driver that prints but doesn't scan, this it useless as I use the scanner more than the printer.

I have found a printer driver for my Canon LBP-660, I have yet to try this.

Digital camera:
Nytech, ND-5040
This came with both Windows and Mac drivers but no Linux drivers, and I have not found a Linux driver.

I know there is a possible solution to all of this too.

The captive project can use code from React OS

[KernelPanic]

I havn't got any answers right away, but people will find it useful to know which Linux distro you are using.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Oh sorry, Red Hat 9.0

[KernelPanic]

This page says that the scanning function of your X74 is not supported by SANE, and i'm sorry to say that means you're SOL.  

[hm_murdock]

quote:shit XP effects

Funny, but those little bitty fades and stuff never bothered me or my machine.

 

quote:I hope a more suitable Linux driver is available, and I know it is possible to have fast graphics with generic a generic driver:
http://forum.microsuck.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000049&p=
The driver they use is faster, even though it's more generic than my S3 driver, it's VESA, someone just needs to write one for Linux in ASM.

In assembly? uh... no.

 

quote:printer/scanner combination:
Lexmark X74
I have located a driver that prints but doesn't scan, this it useless as I use the scanner more than the printer.

Those all in one jobs use proprietary hardware. Try activating your scanner using normal scanner mechanisms in Linux. You'll likely have more luck

Linux "drivers" aren't quite like windows ones where you install the mfr's software and get a bunch of nice, pretty n00b programs that let you do crap with your stuff. instead you get a driver for a specific piece of hardware (the printer) because it's a separate piece of hardware from the scanner.

[Aloone_Jonez]

That's a shame.    

Thanks for looking for me though.    

What do you think of the driver wrapper idea?
Do you think I should post it on a Linux developer forum?

   hardware companies that don't support Linux.

[Aloone_Jonez]

The printer/scanner combination, uses separate windows drivers for the print and scan functions, and it comes with some crap photo editor, that you don't have to install if you don't want to.

I never tried the normal Linux scanner settings, perhaps I should give them a go.

What's wrong with asm?

It's fast, reliable, and compact.

There is only one real disadvantage:
It's not portable.
But who cares.
Drivers aren't supposed to be portable.

If Linuxant has a wrapper for Windows wifi drivers why can't someone just write wrappers for printer and scanner drivers?

By the way I would be very surprised if you don't notice any performance boost if you switched to the classic theme and turned off the menu transition effects. They didn't bother me or my system, things just got quicker when I switched them off.

[insomnia]

S3 ProSavage:
driver instructions + downloads
http://www.probo.com/timr/savage40.html
(or buy NVidia)

   

quote:someone just needs to write one for Linux in ASM

Whould be a very bad idea.
ASM has a lot of compatibility problems and whould make your system a mess.
To much ASM code also makes your system very slow.

[ July 15, 2004: Message edited by: insomnia ]

[WMD]

quote:Originally posted by insomnia:
S3 ProSavage:
driver instructions + downloads
http://www.probo.com/timr/savage40.html

Ha!  FOUND!    

Here's a direct download link for XFree86 4.3:
http:/www.probo.com/timr/xf43sav-27t.tgz

Extract to /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers and change the XF86Config driver name to "Savage."

[ July 15, 2004: Message edited by: WMD ]

[hm_murdock]

quote:If Linuxant has a wrapper for Windows wifi drivers why can't someone just write wrappers for printer and scanner drivers?

Horribly different mechanisms go into running network shit than running printers and crap.

 

quote:By the way I would be very surprised if you don't notice any performance boost if you switched to the classic theme and turned off the menu transition effects. They didn't bother me or my system, things just got quicker when I switched them off.

1GHz Coppermine P3 - 512MB RAM, GeForce 4 video, 7200RPM ATA133 drive.

That's why my machine doesn't give a shit. I have a mediocre processor, but I actually support it with sufficient RAM, a decent (read: not shitty integrated) vid card, and a good HD.

BTW, you coulda found the driver yourself. There's this thing we have in modern times called "Google". Try it sometime.

type in

"S3 Savage" "XFree86 driver"

to save you the trouble of having to undertake this seemingly daunting task, here you go...

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22S3+Savage%22+%22XFree86+driver%22&sourceid=firefox&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

What you need is the very first link.

[ July 15, 2004: Message edited by: JimmyJames: GenSTEP Founder ]

[Aloone_Jonez]

quote: Whould be a very bad idea.
ASM has a lot of compatibility problems and whould make your system a mess.
To much ASM code also makes your system very slow.

No. If assembler were slow they wouldn't write games in it Hostile Encounter, as for size and speed assembler totaly kicks Cs arse into orbit.

A program written in assembly, is as poratble as any executable binary, as long as you run it on a compatable processor or under an emulator, with compatable operating system you will be fine.

Most old DOS games had large protions written in asm, DOOM, Wolfinstine 3d and the very first Quake to name but a few. They were more stable and made better use of your hardware than many of thier modern windows counterparts.

Anyway, this thread was meant to be about Linux hardware, and I don't want to change it into a programming language debate.

I'm sure I searched for this before, perhaps I am a duffuss, I must have fucked up the spelling or something.

I have just downloaded and extracted this into my /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/drivers/ directory, there was already a savage_drv.o, so I renamed it.

How should I edit the /etc/X11/XF86Config file to allow it to use the new driver?

Code: [Select]

[ July 16, 2004: Message edited by: Aloone ]

[hm_murdock]

uh... that looks right.

[Aloone_Jonez]

I don't think I using the new driver as the graphics on the games are just as slow, the desktop seems a bit faster, but this could be because I don't have as much shit loaded.

I have read the overview and it says someting about a "DRI driver for 3D OpenGL code", is this a seporate down load?

[Aloone_Jonez]

But I must be, as I renamed the old one.

Is Linux like XP, does it keep backups of driver files, so if a driver fucks up it just uses a copy?

[insomnia]

quote:No. If assembler were slow they wouldn't write games in it Hostile Encounter, as for size and speed assembler totaly kicks Cs arse into orbit.

A program written in assembly, is as poratble as any executable binary, as long as you run it on a compatable processor or under an emulator, with compatable operating system you will be fine.

Most old DOS games had large protions written in asm, DOOM, Wolfinstine 3d and the very first Quake to name but a few. They were more stable and made better use of your hardware than many of thier modern windows counterparts.

I've worked a lot with ASM(not in the last 4 years).
For small apps it is fast, but if your code becomes to big, it will end up very slow.
I don't even understand why people still use it.
Also, ASM is really difficult to combine with anything else.

If you want to learn programming, start with a more useful language.

ASM is long gone.

Ps. You're indeed very unlucky with your hardware.
My advice:
Buy something better.  

[ July 16, 2004: Message edited by: insomnia ]