Roccat Linux Support Keeps Coming

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Roccat Linux Support Keeps Coming

Roccat, the European manufacturer of various gaming peripherals like keyboards and mice, actually has rather good Linux support for their hardware...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=OTg3NA

[pankkake]

Too bad it's a rubber dome keyboard.

[crazycheese]

Very nice, their support is extremely welcome.
In Germany, if you contact Logitech and say you have Linux, they will block you after mentioning it is not supported OS. Ridiculous. This is why I didn?t buy Logitech.

[AnonymousCoward]

Very nice, their support is extremely welcome.
In Germany, if you contact Logitech and say you have Linux, they will block you after mentioning it is not supported OS. Ridiculous. This is why I didn?t buy Logitech.

My Logitech keyboard and mouse work just fine under Linux.

Custom Linux drivers are not the solution, adhering to standards is.

[RealNC]

My Logitech keyboard and mouse work just fine under Linux.

That's not the issue. The issue is that if you have a problem with the keyboard, you don't have any warranty if you're using Linux.

[Zhick]

Ah I rememer that news artice about roccat providing support for linux. It was the reason I got a roccat pyra mouse.
Can't complain, to this day it's been holding up quite nicely... though I just realized I didnt bother trying to use any of the advanced functionality yet. But I'll do so now, as I wanted to control amarok with it anyways. :>

[JanC]

That's not the issue. The issue is that if you have a problem with the keyboard, you don't have any warranty if you're using Linux.

In the EU you get a mandatory 2 year hardware warranty as a consumer, and they can't revoke that right just because you use linux (or your own self-written OS, for that matter). If they try to pull that one on you, tell them you will inform the "economical inspection" of your country. (But note that the shop that sold you the hardware is responsible for this warranty, not the manufacturer or importer!)

[baryluk]

Wow, their keyboards and specification looks really good.

ROCCAT Isku is amazing, but ROCCAT Valo is even more advanced (have own sound-card with in/out for headset, USB 1.1 port mouse, small LCD displat, and lots of customizable buttons, arranged in sensible way for macros, recording, changing modes, etc). Unfortunetly Valo do not have yet Linux support (well it is more advanced, and it will take some time when they will implement all functions including driving this LCD and on-board sound card). Shame it (Valo) doesn't have 2x USB 2 connectors (one for mouse, one for pendrive just in case).

Price is somehow high, but will need to consider it.

[RealNC]

In the EU you get a mandatory 2 year hardware warranty as a consumer, and they can't revoke that right just because you use linux (or your own self-written OS, for that matter). If they try to pull that one on you, tell them you will inform the "economical inspection" of your country. (But note that the shop that sold you the hardware is responsible for this warranty, not the manufacturer or importer!)

No, that's not true. When you claim that the device doesn't work, you need to state in what way it doesn't work. What was it expected to do? For a mouse, the expected behavior is that moving around on a surface will move a cursor around on the screen in one of the supported operating systems. If it doesn't move the cursor around in Linux, then the device was not operated within expected parameters. If the mouse fails to move the cursor around in a Windows (or other supported) operating system, then, and only then, does the device fail to fulfill its intended function within expected parameters.

This is why devices always list the supported operating systems and hardware requirements on their box. "Doesn't work in Linux" is not a valid warranty claim, because the device was never officially intended to work in Linux. You also can't claim warranty just because it says "USB" on the box. USB is a standard for data transfer only. The data might just as well be some proprietary protocol that is only recognized by a proprietary Windows driver.

[crazycheese]

My Logitech keyboard and mouse work just fine under Linux.

Custom Linux drivers are not the solution, adhering to standards is.

Standarts written by microsoft, I suppose? Cause newer ones tend to be copyrighted, patented or closed/NDA.
Feel free to contact them on ANY peripheral issue and just you mention "Linux" - just sit back and relax as they ignore you.

The exact problem with keyboards is for example their G-15, tested here on phoronix. Pay attention to word "community spawned". Now compare to when company itself not even publish the specs, but works together with community for opensource software, without difference be it windows, linux, mac or wherever you port it to. You see, before this community project, G-15 was NOT WORKING under linux. And if you call them to ask how to make it work, you will be straight ignored. And if you try to return the keyboard outside of EU 14 days warranty, cause it does not work with linux - well, forget that, it will not work, linux is not supported at all, its not existing for them.

My friend for example, purchased logitech keyboard(forgot exact model, but I can ask him if needed), payed ~60€ for it and all additional keys simply didn?t work in linux. He mailed them and the only thing he got was "Sorry, we don?t support Linux. Have a nice day."

I was in need for small 89key radio-controlled 2.4ghz keyboard and accompanying laser wireless mouse. Logitech, although overpriced, offered interesting solution - there was only single dongle needed. But guess what? Yeah, I don?t buy products from companies that ignore my needs and try to force theirs upon me instead. Logitech is one of such BS companies.

Thumbs up for Roccat!