Linux's Sole Wireless/WiFi Driver Maintainer Is Stepping Down - Phoronix
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Is it the new cool thing for Linux maintainers to step down?
Third time I’ve seen it recently…
It's demographics. Linux contributors & maintainers skew heavily to the older end of the spectrum (and, although not relevant to this point, also skew heavily male).
People who can contribute time to a project for free tend to be older because they are financially and career settled by the time they hit 50s. Raising a family tends not to leave a lot of spare time.
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Ethernet is a layer 2 protocol. It can run on many different mediums and cable types.
But can it run over wet string, though?
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WiFi is a fad anyways.
I need to get some Meshtastic modules...
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Ethernet cable intensifies
I hope they invent wireless ethernet
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Literally have the opposite experience. Fought with my old Brother printer constantly. My Epson Ecotank is rock-solid.
I've used Epson and Brother printers without issue, though I suppose things could change on a per-model basis or over time.
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And this is how I see Linux quickly unravelling and planned insecurities creeping in over the next decade or so.
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But can it run over wet string, though?
I bet you can run 10base2 over it
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https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/14/youngsters_in_foss/
Read this a few days ago and it feels pretty relevant here.
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I would've figured there were multiple standards and such requiring multiple drivers and maintainers, nonetheless manufacturers doing it themselves.
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I used to daily drive Ubuntu some years ago for work/personal use but have been back on Win 10 primarily for the last 4-5 years. I was considering trying to go back due to how much Windows sucks (despite some proprietary software only being available on it) but remembering the trouble I had with some networking/printer drivers and troubleshooting those issues and then seeing this article Is definitely making me reconsider..
Lmfao 'how dare you have an expirence other than Linux is great!'
This fucking site man.
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Lmfao 'how dare you have an expirence other than Linux is great!'
This fucking site man.
Based on this article? Yeah, the downvotes are appropriate.
This article: Oh no, someone might have to step up and solve this problem in a year or two.
That guy: This is why I can't use Linux now.
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Just built a brand new linux desktop, no wifi dongles work in it.
If I want wifi i need specifically order from this company.
I'm gonna be so sad if this doesn't work
Debian? Ubuntu?
Because those use old kernels (okay, maybe ubuntu
patches in newer versions of in kernel drivers)
Recent kernel updates got many new supported wifi chipsets:https://github.com/morrownr/USB-WiFi/blob/main/home/USB_WiFi_Chipsets.md
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I used to daily drive Ubuntu some years ago for work/personal use but have been back on Win 10 primarily for the last 4-5 years. I was considering trying to go back due to how much Windows sucks (despite some proprietary software only being available on it) but remembering the trouble I had with some networking/printer drivers and troubleshooting those issues and then seeing this article Is definitely making me reconsider..
It astounds me that people who support linux get personally offended if you say you're not sure linux is for you.
I watched a video where a guy installed linux, and then installed a new desktop environment that caters to touchscreen. He got a bunch of errors. So he said "Ah, that's alright! I'll just bring up terminal"
And then he types
sudo add do willywop bojanga -l -r ♧¿¤☆
︎●And I'm like "ok, hold on. How the fuck does he just KNOW that exact string is what will fix it???"
If you don't speak terminal, that shits confusing as hell.
And now this story is like smokey the bear. "Only YOU can maintain wifi protocols. Seriously. I'm done. It's just you now. The professionals are sick of this shit."
So it's reasonable that non-techies are like "I had some issues before, but now I'll have MORE issues if I comd back.....I better stick with what I kjow works."
Meanwhile lemmy users are like "BOOO WINDOWS!!!! BOOOO I SAY!!! WHY DON'T YOU JUST UNDERSTAND THE THINGS YOU DON'T GET???"
And thus.....you have downvotes for saying logically reasonable things that piss off obsessive types who would downvote each other over which distro is best.
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Based on this article? Yeah, the downvotes are appropriate.
This article: Oh no, someone might have to step up and solve this problem in a year or two.
That guy: This is why I can't use Linux now.
Maybe Id buy that if yall didn't do the same thing to someone else explaining they do have problems once one of you tried to explain to the previous commenter that his expirence was wrong. You just hate seeing things that dont fit your penguin superiority complex. No matter the context.
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It astounds me that people who support linux get personally offended if you say you're not sure linux is for you.
I watched a video where a guy installed linux, and then installed a new desktop environment that caters to touchscreen. He got a bunch of errors. So he said "Ah, that's alright! I'll just bring up terminal"
And then he types
sudo add do willywop bojanga -l -r ♧¿¤☆
︎●And I'm like "ok, hold on. How the fuck does he just KNOW that exact string is what will fix it???"
If you don't speak terminal, that shits confusing as hell.
And now this story is like smokey the bear. "Only YOU can maintain wifi protocols. Seriously. I'm done. It's just you now. The professionals are sick of this shit."
So it's reasonable that non-techies are like "I had some issues before, but now I'll have MORE issues if I comd back.....I better stick with what I kjow works."
Meanwhile lemmy users are like "BOOO WINDOWS!!!! BOOOO I SAY!!! WHY DON'T YOU JUST UNDERSTAND THE THINGS YOU DON'T GET???"
And thus.....you have downvotes for saying logically reasonable things that piss off obsessive types who would downvote each other over which distro is best.
They're even defending their decision to because it somehow isn't relevant to the article enough for them. Its a cult.
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They're even defending their decision to because it somehow isn't relevant to the article enough for them. Its a cult.
But.....your comment LITERALLY is based in the fact that switch back to linux would frustrate you BECAUSE OF THE WIFI SITUATION THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT!!!!
clearly getting aggitated at life
Humans are stupid.
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I would've figured there were multiple standards and such requiring multiple drivers and maintainers, nonetheless manufacturers doing it themselves.
One maintainer, multiple supported devices
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But.....your comment LITERALLY is based in the fact that switch back to linux would frustrate you BECAUSE OF THE WIFI SITUATION THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT!!!!
clearly getting aggitated at life
Humans are stupid.
What boggles my mind is they WANT more people to join them them obliterate anyone who may try to and wonder why no one wants to bother. Like an OS where I'm going to need to learn things is one thing, but one where I need to learn from people like them . . . yeah I see why they don't have success with people outside comp sci fields.
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Maybe Id buy that if yall didn't do the same thing to someone else explaining they do have problems once one of you tried to explain to the previous commenter that his expirence was wrong. You just hate seeing things that dont fit your penguin superiority complex. No matter the context.
explaining they have problems too
They claimed to have problems and need to order their wifi part form a specific manufacturer yet claimed to have built their machine themselves
They're lying, or so completely clueless about what they're talking about that they come across as such. That's why they're getting downvoted. This is usually why, actually
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It astounds me that people who support linux get personally offended if you say you're not sure linux is for you.
I watched a video where a guy installed linux, and then installed a new desktop environment that caters to touchscreen. He got a bunch of errors. So he said "Ah, that's alright! I'll just bring up terminal"
And then he types
sudo add do willywop bojanga -l -r ♧¿¤☆
︎●And I'm like "ok, hold on. How the fuck does he just KNOW that exact string is what will fix it???"
If you don't speak terminal, that shits confusing as hell.
And now this story is like smokey the bear. "Only YOU can maintain wifi protocols. Seriously. I'm done. It's just you now. The professionals are sick of this shit."
So it's reasonable that non-techies are like "I had some issues before, but now I'll have MORE issues if I comd back.....I better stick with what I kjow works."
Meanwhile lemmy users are like "BOOO WINDOWS!!!! BOOOO I SAY!!! WHY DON'T YOU JUST UNDERSTAND THE THINGS YOU DON'T GET???"
And thus.....you have downvotes for saying logically reasonable things that piss off obsessive types who would downvote each other over which distro is best.
I'm not disagreeing with you, I just want to say, the reason the terminal is helpful in these types of scenarios is never communicated properly in my opinion.
The reason when you ask people for help or Google stuff and get terminal commands back is because they are clear, concise, and reproducible. It's really hard from the perspective of the people helping, to communicate, usually over text, how to navigate UIs that are ever changing and cart depending on the users hardware and setup. This is true for windows too, and it's why getting any help beyond very simple troubleshooting will devolve into powershell commands.
As for this scenario, it's just inflammatory on purpose, would anyone mention or care if one person at Microsoft who was a project lead retired after decades of working? There are literally thousands of contributors to the Linux kernel, this is just one of them retiring. A maintainer is only one role in a project and can (and will) very easily be replaced. If not by a volunteer, then in a paid position from one of the many companies that pay developers to maintain the Linux kernel. Regardless, there is already people maintaining the the ath10k, ath11k, and ath12k drivers. This is really just a non issue of a temporary vacancy for one position, the same thing that happens at every single software organization every day.
