Comment 51 for bug 30910

On Tue, Nov 28, 2017 at 9:54 AM, Kip Warner <email address hidden> wrote:
> I agree with the concerns of some of those above. If the hardware
> database is no longer maintained, closing the bug as a wishlist is less
> than ideal because it doesn't actually address the OP's original
> concern.

But it does in the only meaningful way it will be addressed. Lets
re-examine the original bug:

>> Cannot browse hardware database. Only very generic data without any details is available on http://hwdb.ubuntu.com/ .

This is resolved, maybe not satisfactorily, but resolved in that
hwdb.ubuntu.com was sunset several years ago, it is not coming back.

>> Hardware database ids are sometimes refered to in Ubuntu bugs, but I could not find any way to see the actual records. Collecting the data is not very usefull if it is
>> not accessible. Who owns the data now, are they property of some company?

Ubuntu bugs no longer refer to hardware database IDs as there is no
longer ANY method in Ubuntu so submit them, no endpoint on LP to
receive them, and no database front end to publicly display them. The
data submitted way back then remains tied to the user's LP account and
that is as far as that data will go.

If you would like to recover that data somehow, then a more
appropriate venue would be file a NEW, and more apropos Launchpad bug
that covers the need to recover that old hwdb data via some sort of
API mechanism.

>> Hardware database related pages in Ubuntu wiki have not been modified for a while
>> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuDownUnder/BOFs/HardwareDatabaseRoadmap?highlight=%28HardwareDatabase%29
>> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareDatabase?highlight=%28HardwareDatabase%29

These will not be modified again, because that project is dead.

> It would be better if there was a hardware database Canonical
> maintained. This can't be rocket science to build:

There IS a hardware database Canonical maintains, and it has been
linked several times in the bug comments. That database is found at:

https://certification.ubuntu.com

And maintains a list of all the Officially Supported hardware from IoT
to Desktops/laptops to SoCs and Servers. There is also a catalog
available that shows you every single device that appears in every
system certified.

> * Ubiquity installer makes some queries to the system with the user's permission.
> * Installer makes some JSON POST requests to remote server.
> * Remote server stores anonymous hardware description in a MySQL or PostgreSQL database.
> * Database has a web based front end that shows some pies, tables, a field for queries, etc.
>
> This can probably be put together in a few days.

At this point, trying to resurrect a badly designed 11 year old
database of hardware no one owns or can purchase any longer is not the
right way to get this done. I would suggest going to the community
and getting some Ubuntu members together who are willing to develop,
build and host a new database with a better, cleaner design, using
better, more modern tools and encourage people to participate by
submitting data.