>>> Reply on 31-10-2006 11:51:36 <<<> Administrator wrote:
> > http://en.opensuse.org/Atheros_madwifi. [...]
> >
> > This piece of
> > installation behaviour definitely isn't friendly.  For all the other
> > hardware I didn't need to go to the web site to install the drivers,
> and I
> > can see no reason why this should be different.
>
> The reason is simple: Madwifi is closed source (at least the crucial
> parts)
> and some kernel developers say distributing closed source kernel
> modules
> is illegal. Some of those developers have threatened to sue those who
> distribute these modules because the modules infringe on their
> copyright.
>
> SUSE (and Red Hat and other distributors) have chosen not to take that
> risk and instead wait for an alternative open source driver to be
> written.
> That driver progresses nicely and will probably be usable soon.

Maybe we could teach Yast that when such a card is detected, that it gives at least a help point where to start? Like this, Novell is still not distributing the driver, but we get some nice information for the enduser.... something like in xine, where the splash tells me to go to the opensuse website if I want to play Video at all.

 

Dominique