Wish list for Hardware compatibility database for Linux required

[deepakdeshp]

As we know most of the laptops and desktops come preloaded with Windows. It would be very helpful if there was a hardware compatibility for Linux web site. It can accept as my mode number and output the Linux variations like Ubuntu Suse etc. This would help people in choosing compatible hardware for Linux . It is a wish list that the database should be a composite one like for a model it should give compatibility for all Linux distros like Mint, Ubuntu , Suse , Red hat etc.It will be a matter of development, scanning the compatibilty lists of all Linux flavours from the net and combine them and present a unified database.


e.g. I will input Lenovo-Ideapad-300-80Q700UYIH-Laptop-Core-i5
and the out put should be a table like compatible with
1. Ubuntu 14 onwards
2. Mint 17 onwards
3. Fedora 19 onwards and so on

[jimallyn]

Iknow there have been several hardware databases in the past, but it's been so long since I've needed one that I can't remember where they were, exactly. These days, it's not so important because Linux supports just about any hardware.

Wait, I think there is a Mint Hardware Data Base. ... Yep, there is it:

https://community.linuxmint.com/hardware

[deepakdeshp]

Wait, I think there is a Mint Hardware Data Base. ... Yep, there is it:

It is a wish list that the database should be a composite one like for a model it should give compatibility for all Linux distros like Mint, Ubuntu , Suse , Red hat etc.
It will be a matter of development, scanning the compatibilty lists of all Linux flavours from the net and combine them and present a unified database.

[Portreve]

Broadly speaking, all common hardware is, by now, supported.

Areas of trouble with hardware support mostly are WNICs, graphics adapters, and maybe sound cards.

In general, any distro that is either Debian- or Fedora-based should have the absolute broadest possible hardware support, as those particular origin points are now the oldest and have seen the greatest variety of hardware. Debian still produces PowerPC-supporting releases.

If anything, subsystem compatibility lists make more sense, at least to me, since it's far more likely that your WNIC/graphics/sound/etc. device won't be supported than your desktop or laptop won't be supported.

[kyphi]

As we know most of the laptops and desktops come preloaded with Windows

So reformat the hard drive and install Linux Mint - not a problem at all.

The last laptop I bought had a sticker on its underside showing the main specifications. Unfortunately it also stated: OS Win8. Is that just a bit of Asus arrogance or did they have their arm twisted commercially by you-know-who. As well as that, the BIOS is from American Megatrends which provides a toggle to switch OS between Win 7 and Win 8 and nothing else.
So what does one say - et tu Brute?

The laptop after having Win 8.1 deleted and then reformatted works fine with Linux Mint 18.

There was a time when some hardware did not work out of the box in Linux. Those days are long gone.

[lexon]

My fairly new wireless Canon Pixma 470 is the only hardware issue I can think of. MInt 17 does not see the scanner with Simple Scan or xSane using wireless or USB.
Printer is ok but always get a pop up that says need a driver.
Mint 17 suggested the 450 driver as I recall.
The Linux driver install from Canon failed about halfway through.
HP printer scanners were always ok with MInt. Always had HP printer scanners since I started using Linux in 2003.
Use my W10 PC for scanning now or my older 17 PC in the back room with HP printer scanner.
Windows and MInt both need backup capability.

L

[kyphi]

You may find this walkthrough useful:

https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/18

[Hoser Rob]

... There was a time when some hardware did not work out of the box in Linux. Those days are long gone.

Complete rubbish based on nothing but your limited experience.

[Pjotr]

Nearly everything works, so I don't think a hardware database is very useful. Not to mention the amount of work needed to keep it complete and up to date.... But I advise to apply these thumb rules:

1. Don't buy bleeding edge new stuff, but hardware that's already on the market for some time. That increases the chance of the right drivers being present in the kernel of Mint 18. Additional advantage: it saves you a lot of money.

2. Make sure your graphics card is either Intel or Nvidia; avoid AMD and the others. Reason: Intel and Nvidia produce fine Linux drivers, which they support for a relatively long period. AMD and the rest: not so much....

3. Wireless: don't buy a Broadcom chipset. Buy Atheros, Intel, Ralink or Realtek instead. The closed proprietary Broadcom drivers work fine in most cases, but in too many cases not.

[deepakdeshp]

Thank you PJOTR. Tips from the expert!

[JohnBobSmith]

I would like to add the following link: http://www.linux-drivers.org/ which then itself links to many such databases.

Pjotr, in my experience with wifi cards, Ralink chips are (or maybe they're not anymore?) huge offenders at lacking linux support. This is assuming there aren't very many driver differences between the current state of Mint and my current OS, Arch Linux. Though I had problems with both OS'es. I would not buy Ralink again.

I'm very pleased with the current state of the Linux kernel and, as such, there are only a fraction of devices which might not have full hardware support.