> > Granted.  But just because it's not a kernel issue doesn't lessen the
> > value of knowing: Can I use <X> with a NetBSD system?
> 
> You are right.. and I do agree to some extent..  however, you can't
> please everyone all the time.  I can't make this an all encompassing
> database for what works with netbsd.
> 
> I think a good follow-up to this.. is to find where supporting package keep
> hardware databases.. and for someone to make a page linking to them.  IE: we
> say:
> 
> If you want to use a printer, any paralell printer will work for text, for PS
> graphics, you may need ghostscript: here is where you can find a hw
> compatability list for GS..  

Okay, minor quibbles aside that will work for a lot of things.  However,
there are some things (graphics tablets come to mind) which don't seem too
well covered by such an approach.

(Last I checked, we have a tty line discipline for some tablets.  More
common/consumer-type tablets are supported directly by XFree86.  Should
some, all, or none of these tablets be listed in the database?  If at
least the X-based drivers are deferred to the XFree folks, then there's
the version-latency issue keeping the current release NetBSD well behind
the current release of XFree.  Figuring out what really will work with
NetBSD's XFree may not be as easy as being pointed to the XFree folks.)


> etc etc.  Trying to do the job of the ghostscript (and sane, etc)
> people would be a mess.  We couldn't possibly hope to have as good a

Unless the authors actively maintain a NetBSD implementation, it's not
really their job to figure out how well it works on our system.  Wasn't
there an ATAPI<->SCSI issue along these lines (some tool claimed not to
support ATAPI, though in fact it worked well with NetBSD
ATAPI)?  Providing that information isn't the job of the software author.
IMHO.


> list as they would.  What does need to be done.. and would be a good
> way for someone to help out.. is to make a list of these other
> packages and component softwares, and whip an html page together for
> it!

Hm.  Well, there's a first-cut at such a page now at:

 http://rkr.kcnet.com/~rkr/netbsd-hardware.html

(Some of the topics are based on what you seem to imply is undesired in
the database that you have started.  In particular, the deal about
seperating USB stuff from similar, non-USB devices.)

I may or may not apply corrections, deletions, or additions.  If someone
would like to nab the file and put it up on the NetBSD web server (and
adopt responsibility for updating it), that would be fine by me.  (^&
(The name of the file probably should be changed, too...)

Not to say that I necessarily would not make suggested changes.  Just that
it's only intended as a quick first-cut, and I probably won't be able to
responsibly take care of it.


  "I probably don't know what I'm talking about."  --rkr@rkr.kcnet.com