Pedro,
It is very nice when people contribute some of their knowledge to the
public.
On your mail, however, I must add a few remarks because our discussion
is archived with a powerful search engine and future users may be
mislead by information insufficiently checked for relevance.
My remarks are added in CAPITAL letters in your message.
Thanks again - Jacques
Pedro Macanas wrote:
De: charly.b
Enviado el: mié 30/04/2008 2:25
Para: linmodems.org
Asunto: Help needed with driver please
Hi,
We are looking for a driver for an internal modem which
Ubuntu does not automatically recognise. We downloaded
ScanModem and the attatched file is the ModemData.txt file
that it produced.
Hoping you can help us
It is a Conexant HCF 56k Data/Fax Modem . HCF modems are primarilty PCI plug
in cards and are also available as external USB modems. (you can also try
http://www.linuxant.com/drivers/modemident.php#listmodem )
THE LINK ABOVE IS FOR A WINDOWS PROGRAM DETECTING THE CONEXANT MODEM
CHIP PRESENT IN THE COMPUTER.
IT CANNOT BE EXECUTED UNDER LINUX. MANY USERS SAVE THEIR MONEY FOR
BETTER USE AND DO NOT BUY WINDOWS AT ALL.
THE SAME RESULT AS GIVEN BY THIS PROGRAM IS ANYWAY PRESENT IN THE OUTPUT
OF SCANMODEM.
THE OUTPUT OF SCANMODEM CONTAINS FURTHER INFORMATION WHICH IS VITAL TO
SELECT AND INSTALL THE RIGHT LINUXANT DRIVER UNDER SO MANY DIFFERENT
LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS.
Interesting links: ç
* http://www.linuxant.com/drivers/ (Conexant drivers). You can use the
automatic installer (good!).
YOU CAN USE THE AUTOMATIC INSTALLER IF YOUR COMPUTER IS ALREADY
CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET NETWORK.
YOU CANNOT USE THE AUTOMATIC INSTALLER IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY CONNECTED
TO THE NETWORK WITHOUT THE CONEXANT MODEM.
THE EASY INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN IN THE OUTPUT OF SCANMODEM ALWAYS WORK AS
THEY DO NOT DEPEND ON HAVING THE COMPUTER IN NEED OF THE DRIVER ALREADY
CONNECTED.
* http://www.linuxant.com/drivers/maillists.php
I CLICKED THIS LINK, SELECTED FIRST QUARTER OF 2008 FOR HCF, TO VIEW BY
THREAD, AND GOT THIS:
First quarter 2008 Archives by thread
* Messages sorted by: [ subject ] [ author ] [ date ]
* More info on this list...
Starting: Tue Jan 22 16:22:16 EST 2008
Ending: Tue Jan 22 16:22:16 EST 2008
Messages: 1
* [hcflinux] SALE 75% OFF on Pfizer admin at Viagra.com
Last message date: Tue Jan 22 16:22:16 EST 2008
Archived on: Tue Jan 22 16:22:19 EST 2008
* Messages sorted by: [ subject ] [ author ] [ date ]
* More info on this list...
FOR COMPARISON, OPEN http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/welcome.html#archive
SELECT YEAR 2008 , SEARCH FOR HCF
* http://www.conexant.com/support/files/gendriv_inst.pdf (generic drivers).
THIS DESCRIBES HOW TO INSTALL CONEXANT DRIVERS FOR WINDOWS, NOT FOR LINUX.
I would like to see Ubuntu/Linux would auto-detect and configure more modems
out-of-the-box .
LINUX, INCLUDING UBUNTU, IS ALSO OPEN SOURCE IN ADDITION TO BEING FREE.
IT WOULD VIOLATE THE COPYRIGHTS OF THE MODEM MANUFACTURERS, AND THE MOST
BASIC RULES OF THE LINUX COMMUNITY, TO INCLUDE ANY COMMERCIAL "PRODUCT"
IN THE DISTRIBUTION. FURTHERMORE, THE SOURCE CODE FOR THE CORE OF THE
DRIVERS IS NOT OPEN (NOT AVAILABLE) (CORE IS THE CORRECT WORD FOR WHAT
SOME PEOPLE NAME blobs).
THE EXCEPTION IS FOR MODEMS SUPPORTED BY THE ALSA DRIVER ALONG WITH THE
SMARTLINK INTERFACE KNOWN AS ALSA VERSION OS SLMODEM.
HOWEVER THE "BOX", IT IT DOES, COMES WITH SOME FROZEN VERSION OF THE
ALSA PACKAGES, WHILE NEW VERSIONS ARE NEEDED FOR NEW MODEMS WHICH WERE
NOT SUPPORTED BY THE PRECEDING ONE.
SO THIS KIND OF "OUT OF THE BOX" IS BOUND TO MAKE USERS BELIEVE THAT
THEIR MODEM CANNOT BE USED.
> And a Ethernet-over-USB configuration (to use DHCP and
> plug-and-surf)
COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT YOU WISH TO HAVE?
I INSTALLED THE LINUXANT HSF DRIVER IN AN UBUNTU PARTITION ON ONE OF MY
COMPUTERS (I NORMALLY USE REDHAT).
I JUST HAD TO CONFIGURE THE MODEM ONCE FOR ALL AND START THE DEVICE, TO
BE CONNECTED WITH DHCP AND "SURF" (PLUS ALL THE REST OF NETWORK ACTIVITIES)
ARE YOU EXPECTING AN AUTOMATIC INSTALLER TO KNOW THE PHONE NUMBER,
USERNAME AND PASSWORD GIVEN TO YOU BY YOUR ISP? NOTHING MORE THAN THAT
HAS TO BE GIVEN TO THE INTERNET CONFIGURATION WIZZARD WHICH COMES WITH
UBUNTU!
See:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Outofthebox/Modem
THIS IS WHAT I SEE THERE (STILL, MY REMARKS IN UPPER CASE):
Design
For soundcard-like modems compatible with the sl-modem-daemon, we will
have full support. This package works but has some wrinkles which need
fixing, and it needs putting on the CD.
THE AUTHOR OF THIS ITEM IN THE QUOTED WIKI PAGE PROBABLY IGNORES THAT
SL-MODEM-DAEMON CAN BE STARTED WITH ANY MODEM, BUT WILL FAIL WITH MODEMS
NOT SUPPORTED BY THE ALSA DRIVERS LIBRARY, OR WITH THE COPYRIGHTED,
THEREFORE NOT ALLOWED TO BE DISTRIBUTED, SMARTLINK VERSION OF THE
SLMODEM PACKAGE.
COMPATIBILITY IS WITH THE ALSA LIBRARY OR WITH GENUINE SMARTLINK
HARDWARE, NOT WITH SL-MODEM-DAEMON. SL-MODEM-DAEMON IS NOT A DRIVER.
Other modems typically involve a non-free kernel driver. We will decide
on these on a case-by-case basis.
DO THE AUTHORS OF THE WIKI DOCUMENT WHICH YOU RECOMMEND INTEND TO
INFRINGE THE COPYRIGHT LAWS AND/OR THE LINUX OPEN SOURCE COMMITEMENT,
EVEN ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS?
Reasonable drivers use the standard kernel device detection mechanisms.
This avoids any need for unpleasant tools like "scanmodem" or Wvdialconf.
HOWEVER, LINUX DRIVERS HAPPEN TO BE WHAT THE AUTHOR OF THE WIKI PAGE
RATES AS UNREASONABLE (THIS IS NOT WHAT I BELIEVE, OF COURSE, JUST IN
CASE). THEREFORE, DRIVING PEOPLE AWAY OF SCANMODEM AND WVDIALCONF WILL
GREATLY CONTRIBUTE TO DRIVING THESE PEOPLE AWAY FROM LINUX, AS
UNEXPERIENCED OR MODERATELY EXPERIENCED PEOPLE, NOT ABLE TO INVENT WHAT
SCANMODEM AND WVDIALCONF DO, WILL BE FRUSTRATED WITH A MODEMLESS COMPUTER.
PEOPLE WHO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT LINUX MODEM DRIVERS WILL ENJOY READING
THE FOLLOWING WEB LINK REFERED BY PEDRO
See also Outofthebox/Modem/Softmodem
WHICH IS REMARKABLY FULL OF MISLEADING INFORMATION.
FOR EXAMPLE:
Intel 536 and 537: drivers with binary blobs available from Intel;
however the licence does not permit us to redistribute and the driver is
not compatible with current kernels.
WHICH IS GROSSLY WRONG, AND IN THE REFERENCES SECTION:
#
Intel stuff at [WWW]
http://www.intel.com/design/modems/support/drivers.htm (and then 5 pages
of clicking).
#
Intel 537: [WWW]
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProductID=1230&DwnldID=9284&strOSs=39&OSFullName=Linux*&lang=eng
#
Intel 536: [WWW]
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProductID=977&DwnldID=9266&strOSs=39&OSFullName=Linux*&lang=eng
OF WHICH NONE HAS ANYTHING OF VALUE WITH CURRENT UBUNTU DISTRIBUTIONS,
MAKING THE INNOCENT READER THAT SHE/HE CANNOT USE AN INTEL 536 OR 537
MODEM, WHILE SCANMODEM TELLS WHICH DRIVER TO PICK UP AT:
http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/packages/Intel/Philippe.Vouters/
ONE CANNOT EVEN SAY THAT THE UNFORTUNATELY SUGGESTED HAPPENS TO BE
OBSOLETE, SINCE IT IS STAMPED last edited 2008-04-30 12:55:36 by Pedrom
FINALLY, I FEEL IT USEFUL TO INSIST THAT INCLUDIND SCANMODEM IN ANY
LINUX DISTRIBUTION IS A MAJOR MISTAKE BECAUSE UPDATES ARE PERFORMED
SEVERAL TIMES EACH MONTH, TO HELP USING NEW MODEMS, NEW KERNELS, ETC...
WHAT A SMART DISTRIBUTION SHOULD DO IS TO SEND THE USER TO
http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/#scanModem URGING THE USER TO USE
SCANMODEM IN ITS VERY LAST VERSION.
Regards.
