Ubuntu Wiki

• Launchpad entry: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/binary-driver-education

• Contributors: JackVasey, MichaelVogt, MatthewPaulThomas

• Packages affected: hal-device-manager

We include several proprietary drivers in Ubuntu by default (it is possible to install without them). We would like to do more to educate users to avoid hardware that requires such drivers in order to work with Linux. We propose a notification on login which will lead users to further information, including recommending certified hardware that does not have this problem.

Rationale

A large proportion of people using Ubuntu -- including 70%-80% of people with new computers -- need a non-Free driver for reasonable performance from their graphics card, wireless card, or modem, because there is no Free driver available. This is a problem, because:

• we are completely dependent on the hardware vendor for bug fixes, even for security bugs
• security fixes need careful testing, because we don't know what changed in the update
• we don't know the vendor's roadmap for updates
• we don't have any service-level agreement

• any problems with the "tainted" kernel [http://www.tux.org/lkml/#s1-18 will not get attention from upstream kernel developers].

In most cases there is alternative hardware with Free drivers available. In the case of graphics cards, Intel onboard cards are available, but their performance isn't as good (lagging behind the ATI/Nvidia cards), and they aren't available as separate components.

This is a polarizing issue, because other distributors have made different choices — [http://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers#head-406d3dad648f663d3a578addb21f289fd5daa658 Debian], [http://lwn.net/Articles/195351/ Fedora], and [http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-announce/2006-02/msg00003.html OpenSuse] do not install proprietary drivers by default — and because some see proprietary drivers as [http://ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0512.0/0972.html a threat to the future viability of Linux].

As long as Ubuntu does ship proprietary drivers in the short term, we should take steps to improve the situation in the long term. We believe the best way to do this is to convey the problem to people using Ubuntu — explaining why we distribute non-Free drivers at all, what the risks are, and what people can do to avoid such hardware in future.

Scope

To begin with, the notification should apply to modules provided in linux-restricted-modules:

• video (fglrx, nvidia)
• modems (fritz isdn/dsl modules, lt-modem)
• wifi (ath_hal aka madwifi, contains a binary blob for FCC compliance — work has begun on a Free version, but nothing usable yet)

Out of scope:

• firmware (even upstream kernel hackers don't worry about that)
• 3945 Intel wireless card, which has Free driver + binary blob (this should be replaced by a Free version in Feisty)

• ndiswrapper (see "Future work")

• what happens if a fully functional Free driver becomes available for hardware that formerly didn't have one (see AcceleratedX).

Use cases

• Danilo is a gamer who currently dual-boots Windows 2000. He upgrades his system every six months or so, and is interested in getting the best video performance possible.
• Harriet had Ubuntu installed on her computer a couple of days ago, by a nephew who has now gone on a camping holiday. Harriet does not know what a "driver" is.

Design

When you log in to Ubuntu on a computer where non-Free drivers are required for acceptable performance:

• If you are not an administrator, you likely can do nothing about the hardware situation, so nothing special should happen.
• If you are an administrator who is logging in to an Ubuntu installation for the first time, it is important for your first impression to be of an elegant uncluttered system, so nothing special should happen.

• If you are an administrator, and you are logging in to an Ubuntu installation for the second time, or three months have passed since you were last notified, or you are using a live CD, or , Ubuntu should notify you about the problem with the non-Free drivers.

• If you launch the Device Manager, Ubuntu should similarly notify you, regardless of whether you are an administrator.

The notification should take the form of an info alert, which reads:

• To make this computer’s ______ work properly, Ubuntu is using driver software that cannot be supported. You can avoid this problem with your next computer, by choosing hardware from more cooperative manufacturers.

  To learn more later, open the Device Manager. ( Learn More... ) ((   OK   ))

The first sentence should refer to "display", "modem", "wireless connection", or (if multiple devices have the problem) "hardware".

Clicking "Learn More..." should open your default Web browser to a page on ubuntu.com that explains the problem in more detail — including information on the particular device (or devices) with the problem on your computer in particular, and links to vendors of alternative hardware, along with an explanation of the problem in general.

The page should be iteratively redesigned to be understandable, tactful, and non-confrontational.

ubuntu.com should count the number of unique Ubuntu installations (not including live CD sessions) that access its information on each driver.

= BRAINDUMP from this point on=

• Count the number of people who see this information on the Web site
• Link to discussion forum at the bottom of the Web page.
  • ubuntu_demon : maybe we could do this at ubuntuforums.org

• If it uses notifications every couple of months, it should be able to be turned off (people who don't care or who can't afford new hardware). I also believe the alert should use more positive language - i.e. "to make this computer's display work to its full potential"... instead of "more co-operative manufacturers", use the phrase "Linux-friendly manufacturers".

Implementation

- mvo: Use existing desktop notification framework, it supports text notifications and has url support.

Small program that runs in the session

For counting the number of unique Ubuntu installations that access info on each driver: - Ubuntu generates a unique ID for the system

- We can tell whether the ATI or Nvidia package is being used

• - I think something more instrusive for notification would be desired

- Same for eg atheros (grep /proc/modules)

- a webpage needs to be create and maintained with useful information about what the implications of binary drivers are (the points above) and hints what hardware to buy instead. Make clear why we ship non-free drivers in the first place.

• Canonical support staff are writing whitepapers; Karl Tilbury's (mneptok's) first will be about the pitfalls of binary drivers. When done, this should be adapted for
• The check for non-free modules can be done either at the modprobe level or at the session login level. We probably want to do it at the session level because its easier.

Future work

• We should extend this to detect use of ndiswrapper, for which Ubuntu will need to determine whether there is a Free equivalent to the Windows driver being used.

See also EthicalInfo, IssueNotificationServiceSpecification.