Ubuntu-friendly modems

[az]

I really dislike software modems. I really dislike closed-source binary kernel modules. I also really dislike the selling of proprietary prebuilt- binary kernel modules (with only a year's support) so that you can use your software modem.

The problem is that you will have to pay another 15 USD to get it to work in a year's time when you update your kernel.

It makes more sense to just buy a different software modem.

There are some software modems (namely certain intel chipset based software modems) that can be run with GPL alsa drivers.

Here is the idea:

It would be easy to maintain a very small repository which contains packages to set up such modems for Ubuntu and debian. It should not be too hard to obtain a bulk quantity of these modems with the exact chipset. In my area (Montreal, Canada) it would probably come out to 7 to 8 canadian dollars per modem. They could be sold for 14.95 USD, including the shipping charges. This makes it competitive with linuxant as well as allowing for a profit.

I do not have the time or the capital to do this presently, but if someone wanted some help, I can be of service. I think this would benefit the Ubuntu community, increase the awareness about linux to the modem vendors, and make a profit.

[gylf]

I really dislike software modems. I really dislike closed-source binary kernel modules. I also really dislike the selling of proprietary prebuilt- binary kernel modules (with only a year's support) so that you can use your software modem.

The problem is that you will have to pay another 15 USD to get it to work in a year's time when you update your kernel.

It makes more sense to just buy a different software modem.

There are some software modems (namely certain intel chipset based software modems) that can be run with GPL alsa drivers.

Here is the idea:

It would be easy to maintain a very small repository which contains packages to set up such modems for Ubuntu and debian. It should not be too hard to obtain a bulk quantity of these modems with the exact chipset. In my area (Montreal, Canada) it would probably come out to 7 to 8 canadian dollars per modem. They could be sold for 14.95 USD, including the shipping charges. This makes it competitive with linuxant as well as allowing for a profit.

I do not have the time or the capital to do this presently, but if someone wanted some help, I can be of service. I think this would benefit the Ubuntu community, increase the awareness about linux to the modem vendors, and make a profit.

This sounds like a pretty good idea. I'm considering building preconfigured systems, so it would make sense to sell individual parts I'll probably have to stock up on anyways.

I've never used a modem w/ Ubuntu or any other flavor of linux (at least, not for many years) since I'm a broadband user. Do a lot of modem chipsets not work with Ubuntu? Would users want more then 1 or 2 models of modems, so long as that single model is guarenteed to work?

I might also be interested in doing a wider array of parts that are difficult to get working in Ubuntu (scanners, gamepads, etc).

Nothing solid yet but I'm definatly interested, I'd appreciate any recommendations or suggestions anyone has.

[az]

"Do a lot of modem chipsets not work with Ubuntu? Would users want more then 1 or 2 models of modems, so long as that single model is guarenteed to work?"

Most software modems rely on proprietary and closed-source drivers to run. This is bad. Most software modems can be made to work. There are a few that cannot because the manufactureres do not make an effort to sell to linux users.

I personnaly would only like to see a modem who's driver is completele GPL'd (Intel alsa modem driver) sold like this, and not include the other varieties (Lucent, SmartLink)

It is an issue that some modem manufacturers mix chipsets when making the same modem model. The same goes for a number of other pieces of hardware like wifi cards...

There are two different types of software modem. Controllerless and Software.

Basically, a real modem has three components. A real modem is a hardware modem and consumes almost no CPU power to run. If you remove the controller and move that functionality to your CPU, it will consume about 100 MHz or so of power. This is a controllerless modem.
If you remove yet another component and move the data compression to your cpu, you are looking at taking up 300 to 400 MHz of CPU power. This is known as a software modem.

I know that the Intel chipset (and there are more than one Intel modem chipsets) that uses the Alsa sound driver is used with a software modem. I am not sure if there is a model which is a controllerless modem. This would be advantageous to the users of older hardware where you need to save on CPU power.

Controllerless modems are usually twice the price of software modems. Hardware modems are much more expensive.

[gylf]

"Do a lot of modem chipsets not work with Ubuntu? Would users want more then 1 or 2 models of modems, so long as that single model is guarenteed to work?"

Most software modems rely on proprietary and closed-source drivers to run. This is bad. Most software modems can be made to work. There are a few that cannot because the manufactureres do not make an effort to sell to linux users.

I personnaly would only like to see a modem who's driver is completele GPL'd (Intel alsa modem driver) sold like this, and not include the other varieties (Lucent, SmartLink)

It is an issue that some modem manufacturers mix chipsets when making the same modem model. The same goes for a number of other pieces of hardware like wifi cards...

There are two different types of software modem. Controllerless and Software.

Basically, a real modem has three components. A real modem is a hardware modem and consumes almost no CPU power to run. If you remove the controller and move that functionality to your CPU, it will consume about 100 MHz or so of power. This is a controllerless modem.
If you remove yet another component and move the data compression to your cpu, you are looking at taking up 300 to 400 MHz of CPU power. This is known as a software modem.

I know that the Intel chipset (and there are more than one Intel modem chipsets) that uses the Alsa sound driver is used with a software modem. I am not sure if there is a model which is a controllerless modem. This would be advantageous to the users of older hardware where you need to save on CPU power.

Controllerless modems are usually twice the price of software modems. Hardware modems are much more expensive.

It sounds like the wise thing to do is carry one of each type (hardware, controllerless, software) that uses a GPL'd driver and works well with Ubuntu. Then the user can choose whatever modem type would best fit their system. Thanks for the info.

[jdodson]

http://linmodems.org/

is this what you are thinking of? or are you describing something differnt?

[Glanz]

I really dislike software modems. I really dislike closed-source binary kernel modules.

I wrote an article on this (http://www.extremetech.com/print_article2/0,2533,a=8217,00.asp) a while back for ZD Media. That's the Print version.
The original page by page version is here... (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1017146,00.asp)

I believe today that the reason that there are so many software modems has nothing to do with cost. They cost less because more are made. If companies went to making controllerless modems, even for laptops, then THEY would cost less than phoney modems. The real reason for software modems is PRESSURE from Microsoft to lock out non - Winblows operating systems from certain hardware access. Soon they will do this to standard laptop BIOS.... Several Companies that wanted to release drivers for Linux were prevented from doing so by Monopolo$oft through contract pressure, and the threat of sanctions in the form of cancelled contracts was used against PC manufacturers who wanted to go totally hardware for their modems.

[landotter]

When I ran a HSF modem, linuxant let me use whatever version of the driver I need with the same license key. The drivers are brilliant btw.

Why not just get a cheap h/w modem on ebay? I got my external USR Sportster for about ten us dollars and USR even had a firmware update for the modem--which was installable via linux. :D

The idea of supporting one commonly available softmodem is quite a good one though, for those that just want to pop down to the computer store instead of waiting for an ebay shipment.

Hope this works out.

:)

[az]

I wrote an article on this (http://www.extremetech.com/print_article2/0,2533,a=8217,00.asp) a while back for ZD Media. That's the Print version.
The original page by page version is here... (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1017146,00.asp)

I believe today that the reason that there are so many software modems has nothing to do with cost. They cost less because more are made. If companies went to making controllerless modems, even for laptops, then THEY would cost less than phoney modems. The real reason for software modems is PRESSURE from Microsoft to lock out non - Winblows operating systems from certain hardware access. Soon they will do this to standard laptop BIOS.... Several Companies that wanted to release drivers for Linux were prevented from doing so by Monopolo$oft through contract pressure, and the threat of sanctions in the form of cancelled contracts was used against PC manufacturers who wanted to go totally hardware for their modems.


I though you were a debianhelp guy. Are you running Ubuntu, now? Glad to see you.

As an observer of the linux modem situation for the past few years, I beleive that some companies realise that there is some money to be made from linux users. Linuxant is a misguided attempt at making linux profitable. The people from SmartLink like the makers of other soft modems have released a binary driver in parallel with the GPL alsa intel chipset driver. The alsa driver is getting more mature and it seems as though the smartlink people want to discontinue the binary driver and adopt the open source GPL alsa driver for their modem in the future.

[Glanz]

Yep!!! I have become a fervent Ubuntist (or is that a Ubuntutista?) Ubuntu is just about the best thing that has happened to (debian) Linux. I really like this distro. I really don't want to start a flame war, but I like to avoid KDE as much as possible. Since I prefer GNOME (and also XFCE 4.2)..., Ubuntu seems to be made for me. GNOME has really come a long way since that first version.

I have been using Debian since its inception, but lately I got tired of ..., really tired of, debian-legal nitpicking fanatics who have screwed up a perfectly workable social contract, and made it look like something from the Charia that nearly banned Mozilla from the distro. They are the true reason that Sarge is a year late for release. So now I have Ubuntu for the pure pleasure of the freedom it brings, and I also use Ian Murdock's Progeny (Debian) CL Developer Edition on another machine.

"...money to be made from linux users..." I don't know what to thing of that, but my "knee-jerk" reaction is GRRRrrrrrrrrr! and my knee jerk tells me that those manufacturers are fundamentally jerks anyway. :mrgreen:

[az]

"...money to be made from linux users..." I don't know what to thing of that, but my "knee-jerk" reaction is GRRRrrrrrrrrr! and my knee jerk tells me that those manufacturers are fundamentally jerks anyway. :mrgreen:

What is wrong with making money? Just as long as the software remains free (FLOSS)...

[Glanz]

What is wrong with making money? Just as long as the software remains free (FLOSS)...
Very true.... As long as the soft remains free, nothing is bad about making a little cash..., usually that is. I just don't trust suits. Never have. Never will. Never knew a businessman who wasn't a liar with a conception of ethics akin to your average sociopath's world view...