a guide that explains how to get all the drivers working
It's not only people just don't know how to set up the 'drivers' (While an additional guide on that wouldn't hurt.)
Often enough there simply aren't any 'drivers' for FreeBSD.
How you're going to solve that by a guide?
Explain how to modify the source to work under FreeBSD? (While another guide on that wouldn't hurt either.)
Programmers lack the source code, or at least the addresses and the specs of a certain hardware, but not the knowledge how to do it.
If there is open source available, often there will be a Linux driver soon.
If there is a Linux driver chances are good FreeBSD will be supported also.
Sometimes it's vice versa.
But anyway one needs the source code.
Otherwise if there is no 'driver' and no source available, then what?
...just looking for hardware that is supported... We've been that road just within in this thread here at least already twice:
The list
kpedersen and I already mentioned.
I also don't understand why many hardware manufacturers do not publish their driver's source code if they could sell more this way.
Maybe it's some kind of a conspiracy with Microsoft, maybe they are ashamed of their cheap code, maybe they fear some hackers may misuse it, maybe... - I do not know.
But many simply don't provide drivers for FreeBSD/Linux, not even open their source, nor publish at least the detailed hardware specs.
my hypothesis is pretty solid.
I didn't contradict.
It's not a hypothesis, since there are people will buy a FreeBSD laptop, including me.
That's not my point.
All I was saying is that people will buy FreeBSD laptops is not enough for a business to start.
My point is one needs to
know pretty solid how many people will buy one for sure.
And it has to be more than the minimum quantum a manufacturer considers to bring out a model. Plus a manufacturer needs to know what config the majority wishes. And the price they are willing to pay.
Provide those numbers, and if they suit, the first FreeBSD laptop will be available within half a year or less.
The point is:
How to figure out this numbers?
Get the config, and price willing to pay is easy. A thread containing a poll here might do it.
Get a reliable number of buyers is the crucial point.
How to get this?
This is the crucial core question on every question related to FreeBSD specific hardware.
Think about how to get this number. And get it.
Then, and only then there will be a FreeBSD laptop (and other hardware, like FreeBSD's own ARM boards.)
Otherwise I see only two ways:
1. Starting something like an altruistic non-profit project sponsored by some kind of a patron,
simply bring out an own one, taking a very high risk on losing money, because of
a) the number of buyers was overestimated too optimistic,
or b) there are way more than enough buyers, but commercial competitors join the train, and kick you out of business.
or 2. The way there already is:
Check the market which available laptops (hardware) may work how far with FreeBSD,
collect those info in a database and provide it to the public,
hence the list mentioned already twice here.
And simply live with the fact that almost all laptops cannot be 100% supported by FreeBSD.
Anything else is just throwing the cap over the mill. Day dreaming.
)
