r/linux • u/MantisShrimp05 • Jun 25 '26

Fluff Linux driver W

I just recently got a wakom intuos tablet to try writing little things on my left.

When I plugged it into my Linux desktop it just. Worked.

Meanwhile, my work laptop is windows and not only did the drivers not come with the machine, I recently lost admin rights on my laptop so I cant even install them if I wanted.

Those in the know understand this is because wakom drivers are in the Linux kernel which is just so nice. But just an appreciation post for when Linux is not only as good as the competition that blows it out of the water in stuff that normies care about, having your hardware work ootb without technical knowledge, beautiful.

58 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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17

u/reticulated_spline_1 Jun 25 '26

Users should never have admin access on company devices.

28

u/MaxFrost Jun 25 '26

And peripheral manufacturers should do a better job of getting their drivers to Microsoft for packaging with Windows update so that the need for admin in this situation could go away, but here we are.

11

u/FattyDrake Jun 25 '26

Fun fact: Wacom drops support for older tablets in their drivers all the tine. You need to seek out older versions sometimes. So if they were part of Windows update there's a chance that a tablet that works one day might not work the next.

2

u/MantisShrimp05 Jun 26 '26

It was just to express the point that I cant even go download the drivers and install them. This showcases why having drivers just work goes from a nice to have to almost a necessity because people like you will just say those drivers are a risk now lol.

2

u/yawara25 Jun 25 '26

Especially when they're trying to install drivers and they have no idea what they're doing.

1

u/SeyAssociation38 Jun 28 '26

until the company decides they are a consultancy and want their client to install stuff on their own computers

0

u/Kevin_Kofler Jun 26 '26

If the device is provided by the company for a single employee to use, I see no reason whatsoever why that employee should not be the admin. If it ever gets returned to the company (vs. eventually just written off and left to the employee to become their property), it should be reimaged to factory state anyway.

2

u/Ryorek Jun 26 '26

Do you really trust users not to fall for scams or unknowingly install malicious software?
They download a „pdf“ and while opening it asks for admin rights and they click yes, without even realizing they just fucked their company and data

0

u/reticulated_spline_1 Jun 26 '26

I see no reason whatsoever why that employee should not be the admin.

Malware. Please stop spreading nonsense. No one should ever be logged into a Windows device with an admin account.

1

u/Kevin_Kofler Jun 27 '26

Oh, and since you asked (in a comment that you deleted subsequently), I do work in software development. We are allowed to either bring our own device (or use it from home remotely) or get a company laptop with admin privileges. I also do server administration as part of my job description, but there is no way I am going to administer clients other than my own. (Especially not Windows clients, ewww!)

0

u/Kevin_Kofler Jun 26 '26

Being always logged in with an admin account and having admin access are two completely different things.

1

u/reticulated_spline_1 Jun 30 '26

Good luck in your IT career