how to buy a linux-able card

[pr0n 0]

I have been searching [mod edit store link removed] *The interwebs*

that website for a while now and none of the cards are listed with OS compatibility. I run zoneminder on all of my DVRs usually on Fedora or Ubuntu Linux. I recently purchased a Hicvision compression card only to find that compression cards are really crappy and usually only work with proprietary drivers and even more proprietary crappy software. After using zoneminder I absolutely refuse to use ANY of the windows based DVR clients as a programmer it's obvious that whoever wrote most of these has no idea what they're doing. Every one I've tried gets pointer errors and then you can't minimize without passwords and all sorts of bull crap and aside from that I can keep a Linux machine up 24/365 without even a bump for 5+ years but with a windows machine that's an impossible feat.

 

So how do I know what card to buy? can anyone help I already have a bunch of cameras so I can't go to ip cameras unfortunately. I have posted on the zoneminder forums but got no response. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

[DKtucson 0]

Try Bluecherry dot net . They carry Provideo cards that they bundle with Zoneminder.

I like zoneminder too but not to hand over to a client to maintain & use...but that's just me..

[rory 0]

Hikvision is all I know of, but I am sure there is alot of other crappy Linux cards and software out there.

Hikvision has an SDK, so you can change all the annoying popups.

Ive had Windows XP DVRs running for 5 years without a hiccup at all either.

Ive crashed Linux many times ... wobbly windows is cool but otherwise its not all that.

Only reason to use Linux would be that XP is so expensive now and eventually will not be available, or to browse porn or casino websites.

[pr0n 0]

tried the SDK but it's only written for Fedora8 which isn't available anymore and honestly my knowledge of driver programming is null. I called hicvision support and they where absolutely terrible. most of the guys there I talked to probably thought linux was program you run in windows.

If you know what to do with that to get it working that would be great.

 

thanks for the bluecherry website. why don't all these hidden shopping sites get farther up on google dang it!

[Birdman Adam 0]

Bluecherry has great cards for use in Linux. I just got a PV-143 and it worked perfectly with my server in the basement. They even have a live-cd based on xubuntu with zoneminder you can install, if you want to go the easy way. It's already been set up to work with the specific card you buy.

 

The card will also work with windows, but only 2 of the four inputs will work. It comes with a CD with windows drivers as well.

 

Connection is easy, juat plug into PCI slot, and install watchdog cable. If you get a card with more than 4 inputs, it comes with extra cable breakout plugs.

[rory 0]

Well to be honest I havent tried Hikvision yet, I was looking at them for the linux support, but I was hoping also it would work in other Linux such as Ubuntu, at least to start with as thats what I am familiar with. I Guess its still worth looking at though .. but ill check out the bluecherry and see if that will suit my needs. I have someone that is getting a 4 channel Hikvision card to test anyway, so will still have some time to test it out.