To check if your hardware is compatible with Linux, visit the distribution’s website for a hardware compatibility list or check the release notes on installation discs. Avoid controllerless modems and search for specialized websites or community forums for help. System requirements and USB connectivity can also indicate compatibility.
You can determine if your hardware is compatible with Linux® by visiting the official website of the specific distribution, or flavor, you plan to run. There is usually a link to a hardware compatibility list. If you have the installation compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs), you may be able to look up the release notes on them, which can provide very valuable compatibility information. Release notes are stored in a file on disk. Other ways to determine if your hardware is compatible with Linux® include checking the device manufacturer’s official website or the manufacturer’s website for the particular model of personal computer (PC) or laptop you own.
One of the first steps in determining whether your hardware is compatible with Linux® is to learn that nearly all distributions work on similar platforms. It’s also worth noting that generally controllerless modems, also known as “win” or “soft” modems, tend to be very problematic and most are not Linux® compatible at all. If you plan to have a dial-up connection to the Internet, it is highly recommended that you get a controller-based modem, also called a hardware modem, to avoid compatibility issues.
There are a number of frequently updated websites that specialize in helping you determine if a piece of hardware is compatible with Linux®. Some are dedicated to a particular type of hardware, such as printers. Performing an Internet search using the keywords “Linux press” or “modem for Linux” will bring up extensive options linking to the information you need. You should read the information carefully, because detailed sites will specify when a piece of hardware is only partially compatible with Linux®. This information is usually based on user feedback, which tends to be quite reliable.
Reading the system requirements printed on the hardware packaging sometimes reveals whether the device is compatible with Linux®. Such useful information rarely appears on hardware packaging, but it’s worth at least a look. Most devices like digital cameras do not require software to be installed to work. This almost always means that the hardware is compatible with Linux®, because it tends to mount as a file system when connected to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. While cheap printers tend to be problematic, printers, especially commercial-grade network ones, are almost always compatible.
Many veteran users actually prefer to research Linux® compatibility by visiting the community forums for the particular distribution they run. Members of these forums can provide you with an excellent unofficial answer that is often as accurate, if not more accurate, than the official one, because they represent how the distro and device perform on a variety of platforms and in various configurations . There is often someone in the forum who can provide you with free technical support that fixes compatibility issues.
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