What hardware does not support Linux?
I never really see hardware lacking Linux support mentioned, which got me caught by surprise when a computer with a Broadcom network card couldn't use the card. What other hardware don't work with Linux?
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anon5621
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •Kornblumenratte
in reply to anon5621 • • •miss_demeanour
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •Alex
in reply to miss_demeanour • • •I remember the old ADSL modems where effectively winmodems. I had to keep a Windows ME machine as my household router until the point the community had reversed engineered them enough to get them working on Linux.
At least they where usb based rather than some random card. I think the whole driver could work in user space.
zazous
in reply to miss_demeanour • • •utopiah
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •The lack of support seems very daunting at first.
I started thinking "Oh I wish I could transition to Linux, away from Windows, but what about the latest hardware or random gadget?"
The trick is to flip the question around, namely not "Does my current hardware work with Linux?" but rather "Am I sure my next hardware work well with Linux BEFORE I buy it?" then this remove 99% of headaches. It's typically 1 Web search away from either a lot of complaints or positive feedback... or not much, and then it's up to you to see if you are ready for an adventure. If there is not much but there is some standard interface, e.g. Bluetooth, and no need for a proprietary application, it's nearly sure the main features will work. If a proprietary application is needed, then safer to avoid.
So.... yes maybe surprisingly a LOT of hardware does work well with Linux!
What does not work for me, to give a random example, is the LED controller of my desktop case, which I bought several years ago while Windows was still my main OS. I didn't put a lot of effort into it, cf
... Show more...The lack of support seems very daunting at first.
I started thinking "Oh I wish I could transition to Linux, away from Windows, but what about the latest hardware or random gadget?"
The trick is to flip the question around, namely not "Does my current hardware work with Linux?" but rather "Am I sure my next hardware work well with Linux BEFORE I buy it?" then this remove 99% of headaches. It's typically 1 Web search away from either a lot of complaints or positive feedback... or not much, and then it's up to you to see if you are ready for an adventure. If there is not much but there is some standard interface, e.g. Bluetooth, and no need for a proprietary application, it's nearly sure the main features will work. If a proprietary application is needed, then safer to avoid.
So.... yes maybe surprisingly a LOT of hardware does work well with Linux!
What does not work for me, to give a random example, is the LED controller of my desktop case, which I bought several years ago while Windows was still my main OS. I didn't put a lot of effort into it, cf gitlab.com/CalcProgrammer1/Ope… but the recent article posted on this instance, namely lemmy.ml/post/32389687 makes me want to give it another go at some point!
[New Device] Corsair One (Complete PC) (#1683) · Issues · Adam Honse / OpenRGB · GitLab
GitLablearnbyexample
2025-06-28 11:52:34
Jack_Burton
in reply to utopiah • • •This is my plan going forward. Linux wasn't on my radar when I bought my laptop (and my PC but that's a different story about just being scared to try since I use it for work and I'm not convinced Linux has comparable software I need).
I got a wicked sale on a Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, and of course a few months after I started cutting BIg Tech out of my life (I was an idiot for buying Samsung to begin with but too late now haha). No more Meta, Amazon, or Google accounts or devices for me, and all I have left of Big Tech is Microsoft on my laptop and PC. I tried Mint as my first Linux attempt, and put it on my Samsung laptop. It...didn't play well unfortunately. I've read Bazzite may work better but haven't tried it yet.
Moral of the story, you nailed it. Going forward every bit of tech I buy will be vetted for FOSS support first.
utopiah
in reply to Jack_Burton • • •Neat! Two quick things :
Feel free to ask here. I might not know alternatives but others could, no matter how niche.
Same advice. I don't have one of these but what fails and how? Any specific error message?
Jack_Burton
in reply to utopiah • • •As far as my main PC, I'm a freelance voice actor, artist, and musician. My main concern is recording software and to a lesser extent, art software (I've tried Inkscape, but it's a hard transition from photoshop). For recording I really don't like Reaper, and I use Audition (I know, Adobe, haha) and Cubase for music which unfortunately doesn't have a Linux option.
As per the laptop, it had some standard driver issues which were no big deal but apparently Mint doesn't play well with Nvidia graphics cards. The webcam didn't work but that's a semingly standard issue. The biggest thing was Samsung chips and such from what I read really don't play well with Linux, or at least Mint.
utopiah
in reply to Jack_Burton • • •Even if you are not based in Brussels where we have resonance-mao.be/ you might have a local equivalent, namely open source and open hardware music enthusiast and profesisonals who meet monthly at least to learn and jam. They know this domain a lot more than I do. There are a LOT of software for all that but I wouldn't go as far as advising you. That said yes it mostly likely will require a bit of re-training. Still IMHO you have done the hardest, namely you understand the concepts behind what the tools do. The interface will be different but how it is actually done should be the same. My advice is to find "your people" and discover together.
Regarding hardware Mint is based on Ubuntu which is based on Debian. I have an NVIDIA GPU and I play (and work) with it daily. Sometimes sleep/resume is buggy but pretty much never ever while actually working or playing.
... Show more...Even if you are not based in Brussels where we have resonance-mao.be/ you might have a local equivalent, namely open source and open hardware music enthusiast and profesisonals who meet monthly at least to learn and jam. They know this domain a lot more than I do. There are a LOT of software for all that but I wouldn't go as far as advising you. That said yes it mostly likely will require a bit of re-training. Still IMHO you have done the hardest, namely you understand the concepts behind what the tools do. The interface will be different but how it is actually done should be the same. My advice is to find "your people" and discover together.
Regarding hardware Mint is based on Ubuntu which is based on Debian. I have an NVIDIA GPU and I play (and work) with it daily. Sometimes sleep/resume is buggy but pretty much never ever while actually working or playing. Regarding the Webcam, it's not super convenient but until it gets supported (hopefully) you might have to rely on an external camera.
Accueil - Atelier Résonance
RésonanceJack_Burton
in reply to utopiah • • •oo1
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •Some useful stuff for some laptops - worth checking if you're buying one for linux:
wiki.archlinux.org/title/Lapto…
wiki.archlinux.org/title/Categ…
Also this - i guess this is the inverse question though:
linux-hardware.org/
Linux Hardware Database
linux-hardware.org𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •Broadcom, as you've discovered. That's the one brand that I've always had trouble with; they go out of their way to be closed source: never publishing specs, never responding to developers. They're horrible to the point where I will not buy any product that uses Broadcom chips. Which used to be a PITA because they were also common.
Fingerprint readers, in general, also widely seem to be poorly supported.
One of my computers has a MediaTek wireless chip where WiFi isn't supported but Bluetooth does.
A lot of people have problems with NVidia cards; I've not had trouble with either AMD or Intel GPUs (although, I think all Intel GPUs are CPU integrated?).
Multifunction printers are still iffy, and even just plain printers can give grief; I've come to believe that this is simply because CUPS is ancient and due for a completely new, modern printing service. It's an awful piece of software to have to work with.
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9488fcea02a9
in reply to 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍 • • •Mark
in reply to 9488fcea02a9 • •Linux reshared this.
𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍
in reply to Mark • • •𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍
in reply to 9488fcea02a9 • • •catloaf
in reply to 9488fcea02a9 • • •morbidcactus
in reply to 9488fcea02a9 • • •statler_waldorf
in reply to 9488fcea02a9 • • •9488fcea02a9
in reply to statler_waldorf • • •Aatube
in reply to 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍 • • •like this
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mat
in reply to Aatube • • •Flatfire
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in reply to Flatfire • • •HumanPerson
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in reply to 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍 • • •Magiilaro
in reply to 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍 • • •Cups is so much better then everything printer related that is available for Windows and it works so good that even Apple was not able or willing to create something on their own and are using it their OS on all devices.
Yes, the web interface is dated but nearly every Desktop comes with a modern integrated interface for printer setup and configuration.
It is ages that I had to use the web interface.
Cups comes with a boatload of printer drivers out of the box. And if not then there are often PPD files on the homepage of the printer manufacturer.
Multifunction printers are a special case and if they are supported or not depends either on how the device is build (are the parts addressable Independently as printer, scanner, modem/Fax) or is it all a integrated mashup that needs special software or drivers from the manufacturer.
In the first case can the printer part often be used with cups and the scanner with sane.
Well in the second case there is not much that Linux developers can do without support and goodwill from the manufacturer.
utopiah
in reply to 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍 • • •Not sure if it technically counts as fingerprint readers but using my YubiKey Bio daily, for login on my desktop and WebAuthN and... 0 problem.
nfreak
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •On the peripheral end, ElGato. You can usually get their stuff to work but they provide little to no support, usually have issues to work out, and you'll always be relying on third party replacements for their software.
I got a stream deck plus with the xlr dock, since even though I quit content creation I like what it provides and have no reason to downgrade my mic, but the thing has been a headache and a half ever since I switched to cachyOS.
rhabarba
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •katy ✨
in reply to rhabarba • • •cepelinas
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in reply to katy ✨ • • •lime!
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in reply to rhabarba • • •The Register of UNIX® Certified Products
www.opengroup.orgrhabarba
in reply to lime! • • •lime!
in reply to rhabarba • • •Jumuta
in reply to rhabarba • • •Apple iPhone X (Global) (apple-d22) - postmarketOS Wiki
wiki.postmarketos.orgrhabarba
in reply to Jumuta • • •Strit
in reply to Jumuta • • •"Working" is not what I would call that.
The "Features" list is full of broken stuff and only 1 works and 1 partial.
Booting, yes.
Working, not really.
utopiah
in reply to rhabarba • • •libimobiledevice · A cross-platform FOSS library written in C to communicate with iOS devices natively.
libimobiledeviceCrazyslinkz
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •communism
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in reply to communism • • •tobylemming
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •I use mouse which is fine most of the time, but it would be nice if the touchpad would be supported one day.
tobylemming
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •Mordikan
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •sangeteria
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in reply to ssillyssadass • • •qaz
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in reply to qaz • • •DonutsRMeh
in reply to qaz • • •Phoenixz
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •Certain less well known smaller brands might not work as too few people know the HW
Same goes for very specialized hardware, if it wasn't on Linux to begin with, it probably won't work
Magiilaro
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •Internal HDMI capture cards are barely supported, there are some professional brands like blackmagic that have support but nearly all consumer grade capture cards are not supported at all, because the companies who make them don't care about Linux.
USB based capture cards often work because they use the same standard protocols as USB cameras.
cmnybo
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •JasonDJ
in reply to cmnybo • • •Urist
in reply to cmnybo • • •ATS1312
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •JasonDJ
in reply to ssillyssadass • • •Anybody ever get Winmodems to work or did they all give up on it?
Back in the day, it was hard enough getting dialup internet working on Linux (especially before you had internet in your pocket, so you had to print out HowTos or write down a bunch of notes before you tried to do it).
But it was downright impossible with a class of modems that was designed essentially as a softmodem, heavily reliant on closed-source firmware and drivers, making them practically impossible to work on Linux.