WebSite Information > Article Discussions

Supported Device List Suggestion for Arca Noae

<< < (3/7) > >>

Martin Iturbide:
Thanks for keep sharing you thoughts.


--- Quote from: Andi B. on May 28, 2015, 10:42:44 am ---I for myself have posted here and at other places which hardware I use and what does work or not. But a database of working devices would be better than searching forums. Unfortunately the databases we have are not maintained anymore (ecomstation.ru) AND users did not provide enough input for such databases in the past. So why should the few already overstressed and mostly spare time developers do it?

--- End quote ---

I agree with you Andi B. on the part that "Supported Hardware Databases" are not being maintained good enough by the community. We no longer has people obsessed to have new hardware and try it with eCS. My efforts to make a wiki at OS2World (http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Hardware) didn't have good results yet, since some people said that a database will be better than a wiki, other simple does not like to collaborate on a wiki style (I don't know why, maybe the wiki gives too much freedom).

I agreed that having a "Supported Hardware Databases" should not be the chore of the developers, but the idea here is not to create a "HUGE" database, only list the hardware that the developer use to build/test the driver, and give the developer a new hardware piece at least once a year.

Shifting away...... some of the issues is that the 100% OS/2-eCS supported hardware are, by this days, "disintegrating". And while we try to look for "legacy approved/featured" hardware and manufacturers, the ideal path will be for the platform to support newer technologies and stop using eventually legacy hardware (I think that Arca is doing the right steps by affiliating to the ACPI UEFI Forum).  I know it sound to simple to say "Arca, buy a Thinkpad Carbon X1 (3rd gen) laptop for your developers and see what happens" but I think that we need to move forward with hardware to be "up to date". I think that Arca device driver developers need access to newer hardware and make the effort to support them on their driver pack, this is just a suggestion, and it may be already happening, I really do not know.

If anybody wants to create a HUGE hardware database, I can offer the OS2World wiki: (http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Hardware), which is under Creative Commons and the information there belongs to all of us. And I can help, but I can not take the job just by myself.

Regards

Doug Bissett:

--- Quote ---I agree with you Andi B. on the part that "Supported Hardware Databases" are not being maintained good enough by the community. We no longer has people obsessed to have new hardware and try it with eCS.
--- End quote ---

Nobody was ever "obsessed" with new hardware, and that would quickly become a financial nightmare. A database (or Wikki) isn't going to add to the list, all it will do is indicate whether a specific device has been found to work, or not. It is also true, that just because one user got a device to work, that all other users will be able to do so. The GENMAC project demonstrates that.

At the moment, we have 3 series of devices supported by Multimac (Intel, Realtek, and NVIDIA). ALL of them were done by the "professional" developers (as was promised by Mensys), with the idea that they would provide the guide for others to develop more drivers. NOBODY has picked that up, so we only have the three series of devices, more or less, supported. Some time ago, I looked at trying it, but I was missing some essential support package, that doesn't seem to be available (I never did determine exactly what was missing, but I couldn't build the current drivers, and it is entirely possible that I was doing something wrong). Better that we should spend time figuring out how to do that, rather than simply listing the 3 series of devices that are already supported. I will note, that Paul Smedley did manage to build the current drivers, with updates, but he seems to have lost interest (probably too busy with other things, just like everybody else).

Let's put the manpower where it will do the most good, remembering that it is almost all volunteer work. Also remember that the paid work needs funding, but most importantly, the whole thing needs more people willing to put in some time.

Martin Iturbide:
Sorry Doug but I don't understand you:


--- Quote ---Let's put the manpower where it will do the most good, remembering that it is almost all volunteer work. Also remember that the paid work needs funding, but most importantly, the whole thing needs more people willing to put in some time.
--- End quote ---

What do you want to do? What is you idea? To put efforts on Multimac? I will like to invite you again to define the project that you want to, and start the fund raising campaign for it if applies. I'm not a developer, but I will help you in whatever I can if it is an open source / collaborative project.

Regards

Roderick Klein:
By looking at the readme and forum postings here is just my quick take on it.

* Disc controller as long as it has an AHCI controller does not really and should work.

* When it comes to video support get an Intel or Ati chipsets. As on some of does chipsets Panorama can detect the "native resolution" of the screen and you get not to bad performance :-)

* ACPI is pretty stable and works on most systems stable. I have a computer here at home with Linux used by my partner. It just locked up on the ATI driver today (solid hang) and suspend resume with ACPI sometimes. Hangs familiar ?

* USB support is pretty good with the Arca Noae USB stack. And they have USB 3.0 listed as a planned feature.
https://www.arcanoae.com/roadmap/

* Most audio chipsets works but you do not get audio duo to different wiring. David mentioned in his Arca Noae presentation at Warpstock US he would work UNIAUD. But cleaning it up is a big job. So audio chipsets right now is not realy option to mention. And BTW do not recommend people to go back to old versions of UNIAUD. Lot of bugs fixed that prevent hangs and TRAPS.

* NIC chipsets. Arca Noae mentioned they would work on a FreeBSD ethernet and wifi drive support.
https://www.arcanoae.com/roadmap/ Lets see what they have to say at Warpstock.

* Arca Noae put out a press release they entered into a license agreement to get Scitech  SNAP.
My guess is they would hear say more at Warpstock Europe in Munich.


So in terms of hardware support and current hardware seems stuff is on the move...
And you have a pretty broad choice.  The only real trouble seems to be NIC chipsets.

Roderick Klein
President OS/2 VOICE

Doug Bissett:

--- Quote ---What do you want to do? What is you idea? To put efforts on Multimac? I will like to invite you again to define the project that you want to, and start the fund raising campaign for it if applies. I'm not a developer, but I will help you in whatever I can if it is an open source / collaborative project.
--- End quote ---

There are lots of things that I would like to do, but I don't have the knowledge to do them. I also find myself with a full plate already, so I am not about to start something new, at this time. My hope is that somebody will read this, and decide to get off their butts, and do something. Anything is better than nothing.


--- Quote ---* ACPI is pretty stable and works on most systems stable. I have a computer here at home with Linux used by my partner. It just locked up on the ATI driver today (solid hang) and suspend resume with ACPI sometimes. Hangs familiar ?
--- End quote ---

Personally, I have given up on S/R. The last machine, that I know about, that actually did that properly is my old IBM ThinkPad A22e, and it doesn't work with ACPI. Unless I missed something. S/R is still on the back burner, waiting for time and inspiration.


--- Quote ---And they have USB 3.0 listed as a planned feature.
--- End quote ---

Yes, it is a planned feature. Unfortunately, it has been a planned feature for too many years now. I understand why it is not a reality, but the importance is going up, every day. From what I see in the Lenovo ThinkPad specs, there will be no USB, until USB 3.0 is supported. This is not a good situation.


--- Quote ---* NIC chipsets. Arca Noae mentioned they would work on a FreeBSD ethernet and wifi drive support.
--- End quote ---

That is great, but it needed to be done at least 3 years ago. Again, I understand why it isn't done yet, but I don't understand why more programmers haven't stepped up to help out.


--- Quote ---* Most audio chipsets works but you do not get audio duo to different wiring. David mentioned in his Arca Noae presentation at Warpstock US he would work UNIAUD. But cleaning it up is a big job. So audio chipsets right now is not realy option to mention. And BTW do not recommend people to go back to old versions of UNIAUD. Lot of bugs fixed that prevent hangs and TRAPS.
--- End quote ---

From what I have seen, most NEW chipsets don't work. Lack of sound is not as serious as lack of USB, or NIC support (especially WiFi), but it shows how little is actually being accomplished. Again, I understand why that is the case. There just aren't enough people to do all of it.


--- Quote ---* Arca Noae put out a press release they entered into a license agreement to get Scitech  SNAP.
--- End quote ---

Mensys sat on SNAP for far too long, and I can't see that Arca Noae has anybody who will have the time to play with it in the near future either. It is great that SNAP is now available for development, but it doesn't make much difference if it sits on Mensys' shelf, or Arca Noae's shelf, with nobody doing anything with it.


--- Quote ---So in terms of hardware support and current hardware seems stuff is on the move...
--- End quote ---

Some things are on the move. Others were needed years ago, and we are still waiting (again, no fault of those who do it, they seem to be over worked).

The answer would be for more programmers to step up, and work on important stuff like WiFi, and USB 3.0. It always bothers me that some are spending time making games work, when the basic system is approaching a wall. The games aren't going to be much good if there is no OS capable of running them.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page

Go to full version