Longtime Linux Wireless Developer Passes Away (www.phoronix.com)
from ben@lef.li to linux@lemmy.ml on 23 Jun 2024 16:55
https://lef.li/post/86715

#linux

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autotldr@lemmings.world on 23 Jun 2024 17:00 next collapse

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The Linux kernel community has sadly lost one of its longtime, prolific contributors to the wireless (WiFi) drivers.

His wife shared the news of Larry Finger’s passing this weekend on the linux-wireless mailing list in a brief statement.

Larry Finger began contributing originally to the Broadcom BCM43XX driver back in the day and over the years has contributed a lot to Linux WiFi drivers.

His more recent contributions had been around the RTW88, RTW89, R8188EU, R8712, RTLWIFI, B43 and other Linux networking drivers.

In part to his contributions, the Linux wireless hardware support has come a long way over the past two decades…

Longtime Linux users will certainly remember the days of struggling with WiFi support, resorting to NDISWrapper for using Windows WiFi drivers on Linux, and other headaches compared to today’s largely trouble-free wireless hardware support.


The original article contains 183 words, the summary contains 137 words. Saved 25%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

MajorHavoc@programming.dev on 24 Jun 2024 00:47 collapse

Great summary bot, as ever. But missed this absolute gem from the comments:

“Thanks for helping me wardrive and steal the WiFi from that dentist, Larry.”

blindbunny@lemmy.ml on 23 Jun 2024 17:14 next collapse

Is this the dude that made ndiswapper actually work?

JetpackJackson@feddit.de on 23 Jun 2024 17:19 next collapse

Holy cow I can’t believe it. RIP

narc0tic_bird@lemm.ee on 23 Jun 2024 17:35 next collapse

RIP and thank you for your contributions!

nukul4r@feddit.de on 23 Jun 2024 17:45 next collapse

This is unexpected, and hits really hard. I tried to get one of his drivers running with a fairly new USB wifi adapter, I made a Github issue, and he was super kind and helpful. This was only in May, it feels unreal to read this news. What a terrible loss, my deepest condolences to his family and friends.

mojo_raisin@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 2024 18:13 next collapse

Larry Finger, your work has made a significant positive impact on my life and I’m sure many others. Thank you.

Now can you work on a driver to allow communication between the living and the dead?

possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip on 23 Jun 2024 18:56 collapse

Can we get developers from the heavens to maintain FOSS?

spacedout@lemmy.ml on 23 Jun 2024 21:14 collapse

Upstream

Steamymoomilk@sh.itjust.works on 23 Jun 2024 21:29 collapse

Bro you dont wana be bottom stream, Theres lots of daemons

Lmao

MXX53@programming.dev on 23 Jun 2024 21:17 next collapse

If a random reddit post is correct and he was 84 years old, I can only hope to have the same drive and mental ability at that age. RIP.

ghostface@lemmy.world on 23 Jun 2024 23:15 collapse

I still say the elderly is ripe for development. Not having an issue sitting or standing for long periods of time. Plus the constant problem solving.

There should be a way to get seniors to work with and foss keystone foss projects.

Not to mention after they start its the monthly group meeting…

Steamymoomilk@sh.itjust.works on 23 Jun 2024 21:30 next collapse

Based dude May he rest in piece as a fucking legend

foremanguy92_@lemmy.ml on 23 Jun 2024 21:35 next collapse

I would like to thank him for everything, just thx ❤️ RIP

BurningTurtle@feddit.org on 23 Jun 2024 21:47 next collapse

He will be remembered for what he did for this community. RIP.

UserMeNever@feddit.nl on 23 Jun 2024 22:00 next collapse

I could not get this to quote right so I used code, but look at the footer that is unfortunate.

* Re: Larry Finger
  2024-06-22 23:01 Larry Finger Denise Finger
@ 2024-06-23  5:47 ` Sirius
  2024-06-23 16:15 ` Rafał Miłecki
  1 sibling, 0 replies; 3+ messages in thread
From: Sirius @ 2024-06-23  5:47 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: Denise Finger; +Cc: linux-wireless

On lör, 2024/06/22 at 18:01:23 GMT, Denise Finger wrote:
> This is to notify you that Larry Finger, one of your developers, passed
> away on June 21st.

Sincere condolences and our deepest sympathies for your loss.

-- 
Kind regards,

/S

lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/…/T/#mfd2f4928e0e0…

If the is something better. I hope you are there.

lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network on 24 Jun 2024 08:49 collapse

Being used to tone tags, that /S signature felt so weird at first.

Cyber@feddit.uk on 23 Jun 2024 22:04 next collapse

I’m struggling with what appears to be buggy wifi on an old Lenovo laptop… I spent a moment just looking at the logs and appreciating whoever has spent time and energy trying to get this working, probably reverse engineering without any support… I wonder if that was Larry…?

Ascend910@lemmy.ml on 23 Jun 2024 23:55 next collapse

F for respect

MajorHavoc@programming.dev on 24 Jun 2024 00:48 next collapse

I hope I’m rocking that hard at 84.

My next non-alcohol bubbly drink will be in your honor, Larry.

lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network on 24 Jun 2024 08:47 collapse

non-alcohol bubbly drink

Sounds like a good step towards rocking hard at 84.

Duckling5746@lemmy.today on 24 Jun 2024 00:54 next collapse

Wow Larry contributed to these old Broadcom drivers?! I’m using them to this day on my old macbook. RIP

potentiallynotfelix@lemdro.id on 24 Jun 2024 02:35 next collapse

im pretty sure i’ve used his drivers one time or another across my older macbooks or in one of my usb cards. RIP to Larry, I’m sure the linux community will miss his amazing contributions.

Kristof12@lemmy.ml on 25 Jun 2024 00:47 next collapse

F

grapemix@lemmy.ml on 25 Jun 2024 19:15 collapse

I hope we have a ceremony to pay our respects on pioneers like Larry.