> Meanwhile, I’m still dealing with Linux-loving colleagues who cannot get their sound or webcam to work reliably and consider this an acceptable state of affairs.
That's largely the fault of manufacturers who refuse to properly document their devices and release functional drivers. I don't think anyone considers that an acceptable state of affairs, merely tolerable if it allows using an open software stack that you can freely modify.
It's the fault of the Linux kernel, which insists against all evidence that drivers aren't valuable IP that costs a lot of money to develop and that it should all be GPLd, meaning the manufacturers don't bother writing them for Linux.
That's largely the fault of manufacturers who refuse to properly document their devices and release functional drivers. I don't think anyone considers that an acceptable state of affairs, merely tolerable if it allows using an open software stack that you can freely modify.