HardwareCertification

Status

• Created: Date(2005-04-25T05:50:09Z) by JaneW

• Priority: MediumPriority

• People: OliverGrawertLead, JaneSilberSecond

• Contributors: JaneW

• Interested: JeffBailey, JeffWaugh

• Status: DraftSpecification, BreezyGoal, EditedSpec

• Branch:
• Malone Bug:
• Packages:
• Depends:
• Dependents:

  FullSearch(HardwareCertification)

• UduSessions:

Introduction

Hardware Certification is a method of certifying hardware to be compatible with Ubuntu.

Rationale

Create a certification program for supported Hardware based on the data collected in the Hardware Database. Spec out the Requirements a Device has to fulfill to be "Ubuntu Supported"

Scope and Use Cases

• Big Hardware, Ltd. sells laptops and servers. They would like to have a line of laptop models certified to run Ubuntu.
• Small OEM Inc. has a line of Linux desktops on which they pre-install Ubuntu. They would like to have their hardware certified in order provide a level of assurance to their customers.
• Jerry is considering buying a discount laptop system on line from a local hardware vendor. He wants to run Ubuntu and wants to know that it will run on that laptop. He finds the "Ubuntu Certified" logo on the website, is reassured by that, buys the laptop and lives happily ever after.

Implementation Plan

An Ubuntu Hardware Certification program will be launched in 2005. Implementation:

• 0 Define the benefits delivered to the vendor through participation in this program. The benefits will likely include:
  • logo rights
  • guarantee of compatibility with current and current+1 release
  • preferred listing in hardware database, hardware marketplace
  • processed data/analysis of hardware database data

  0 Define the test criteria for certification. Laptop requirements are listed in LaptopHardwareSupport. An analogous list needs to be developed for servers. 0 Define the requirements the vendor must comply with, e.g., provision of hardware, participation in partner program for as long as they claim certification, fees, etc.

  0 The data from the hardware database could provide a good overview of devices used out in the wild. A queryable and reportable SQL database as described in HardwareDatabaseRoadmap should become a breezy goal to support this program and provide useful data.

Related Links

Some quick pointers:BR [http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/HardwareSupport Ubuntu HardwareSupport wiki page] BR [http://bugzilla.redhat.com/hwcert/ Red Hat hardware catalog]

User Interface Requirements

The user interface for the hardware database should include a way to indicate whether the device/system has been certified (and perhaps allow for a number of different certification types).

Outstanding Issues