Benscomputer.no-ip.org - Getting Started With Lin... http://benscomputer.no-ip.org/Articles/getting_sta...

Benscomputer.no-ip.org

Getti ng Started Wi th Li nux Introducti on - Part 2 - Hardware

T his Article is intended to examine and explain the different hardware-realted pitfalls that can
ocur when trying to run Linux. At the time of writing Linux Hardware support is far better than
it has ever been, and development will surely continue in this area. T his article is seperated into
several segments, dedicated to different types of hardware. Linux can encounter problems
running on laptops due to non-standard hardware, so these have been given a segment of their
own.

Generi c Ti ps

T hese are just generic tips for finding out whether a device will work, or obtaining help if it
won't. Rememeber as a rule the actual brand name and model of the item is relatively
unimportant. T he chipset being used is the most important element, as it is the protocols to
communicate with this chipset that is required for your hardware to work. A search on the net
can often reveal the chipset of your hardware, alternatively there are other means to find out.
For PCI devices (i.e. Sound Card, PCI Graphics cards etc.) ensure you have the pci -uti l s
(http://atrey. karlin. mff. cuni. cz/~mj/pciutils. shtml) package installed, then run (as root) lspci and
look for the hardware in question.

ben@lister ~ $ su
[roots password]
lister ben # lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX Host bridge (rev
03)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX AGP bridge (rev 03)
0000:00:02.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1450 (rev 03)
0000:00:02.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1450 (rev 03)
0000:00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: Cirrus Logic CS 4614/22/24 [CrystalClear
SoundFusion Audio Accelerator] (rev 01)
0000:00:07.0 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA (rev 02)
0000:00:07.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 IDE (rev 01)
0000:00:07.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 USB (rev 01)
0000:00:07.3 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 03)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Neomagic Corporation NM2360 [MagicMedia 256ZX]
0000:02:00.0 Network controller: Texas Instruments ACX 111 54Mbps Wireless Interface

lister ben #

For the Example I will assume I am trying to find out the chipset of the Network Controller (the
last line) So I make a note of the number just before the name of the device. T hen

lister ben # lspci -n

0000:00:00.0 Class 0600: 8086:7190 (rev 03)
0000:00:01.0 Class 0604: 8086:7191 (rev 03)
0000:00:02.0 Class 0607: 104c:ac1b (rev 03)
0000:00:02.1 Class 0607: 104c:ac1b (rev 03)
0000:00:06.0 Class 0401: 1013:6003 (rev 01)
0000:00:07.0 Class 0680: 8086:7110 (rev 02)

1 of 6 13/05/10 22:22
Benscomputer.no-ip.org - Getting Started With Lin... http://benscomputer.no-ip.org/Articles/getting_sta...

0000:00:07.1 Class 0101: 8086:7111 (rev 01)

0000:00:07.2 Class 0c03: 8086:7112 (rev 01)
0000:00:07.3 Class 0680: 8086:7113 (rev 03)
0000:01:00.0 Class 0300: 10c8:0006
0000:02:00.0 Class 0280: 104c:9066

lister ben #

Now I find the relevant line, which in this case is the last line again (bizzarely they are not
always in the same order for me), the most important thing for our needs is the number in the
form xxxx:xxxx so in this case my chipset ID is 104c:9066. Running a Google search on thi s
(http://www. google. com/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-
8&rls=GGGL,GGGL:2006-15,GGGL:en&q=104c%3A9066) reveals far more relevant information
than a simple google search for T exas Instruments ACX 11.
For USB hardware, you will need lsusb which is part of the usbuti l s pack age.
(http://sourceforge. net/project/showfiles. php?group_id=3581&package_id=142529) You use
lsusb in much the same way as lspci.

If a search yields no useful results, then ask a question on a forum such as Li nux F ormat
(http://www. linuxformat. co. uk) using the details you have just acquired (Chipset ID, Make and
Model of Hardware) along with the information you would normally give (Distro you are using,
what you have tried already).
An important thing to remember is that if you buy hardware as soon as it is released, it is
unlikely to function with Linux, at least for a while. Most hardware vendors do not release
drivers for Linux, it is the community that creates them.
Finally where possible try and avoid 'budget' hardware, it may or may not work with linux, but
generally you get what you pay for, cheaper hardware does not last as long. It is also far harder
(generally speaking) to find support for hardware made by a budget company, as fewer people
will have it.

Wi rel ess Keyboards and Mi ce

As a rule, most wireless keyboards and mice will work (or at least the basic functions will), W ith
most of these,a s far as your computer is concerned it is just another USB wired keyboard. T he
wireless side of the equation is handled by the hardware. However the GRUB boot loader has
been known to experience the odd issue with wireless keyboards, although it does sound like it
is an intermittent error. As with many keyboards, the problem you may find is that your
"advanced keys" (i.e. Multimedia buttons etc.) do not work straight away. I will be writing a
short tutorial on how to rectify this very soon.

Graphi cs Cards

T he landscape in terms of Graphics card support is definitely improving very quickly. Both ATI
(http://www. ati. com) and NVIDIA (http://www. nvidia. com) have released Linux drivers for their
cards, the drivers are free, but not Open Source. If this bothers you then many of the various
cards available have their own dedicated Open Source Projects creating drivers for them.
Most Graphics cards are supported on Linux, however the resolution you can achieve in some
cases may be lower than that in W indows, however this works both ways. My AT I All-In-
Wonder 128 achieves far better performance under Linux than under W indows. As with all
hardware try to avoid 'budget' graphics cards, it will cause you a lot more hassle if the device
doesn't function correctly under Linux, and the device may well cease to function long before a

2 of 6 13/05/10 22:22
Benscomputer.no-ip.org - Getting Started With Lin... http://benscomputer.no-ip.org/Articles/getting_sta...

brand name graphics card would.

Searching Google for your graphics card will often help, also check the Li nux Compati bi l e
Hardware Database. (http://www. phoronix. com/lch/?k=menu&i=1&w=Graphics%20Cards)
At the time of writing the project has only been available for a short time, however it is quickly
developing.

Sound Cards

Sound Cards do not generally pose too large an issue, as long as you do not purchase a 'bleeding
edge' soundcard you can be reasonably sure that it will work. Budget soundcards tend to work as
well, although in my experience Budget hardware has a much shorter lifetime. Once again to be
sure, use Google (or indeed your search engine of choice) to search for information on your
Cards compatability, also check the Li nux Compati bl e Hardware Database.
(http://www. phoronix. com/lch/?k=menu&i=6&w=Sound%20Cards)

Scanners

All the hardware covered so far is generally Linux compatible, Scanners however are much
more of a grey area. T o use a scanner you will need SANE. (http://www. sane-project. org) T he
SANE project has a database of supported devi ces (http://sane-project. org/sane-supported-
devices. html) , this of course is the best place to check whether a scanner will work before you
purchase it. Of course if you have a good knowledge of programming, it is possible to write your
own backend to SANE for an unsupported scanner, this however does take about 6 months to
complete. Once you have SANE installed and running you can use a variety of Front Ends and
Graphics programs to scan, I personally prefer X Sane but it will even interface with the GIMP.
T he Documentation of SANE's homepage is essential for getting your scanner up and running
properly.

Pri nters

T he most popular method for printing is CUPS (Common Uni x Pri nti ng System)
(http://www. cups. org) it has great support for printers, and will even allow you to share your
printer over the network. Configuration is of course printer dependant, but as long as you do not
buy 'bleeding edge' printers, the support should be there for you. Search the CUPS Database
(http://www. cups. org/ppd. php?L) to see if your printer exists.
Information on Printer compatability, and the various printing systems available can be found at
Li nuxpri nti ng.org. (http://www. linuxprinting. org) T here are also some tutorials on
configuring printers, as well a a very good database of Linux Compatable printers.

Combi nati on Scanner and Pri nter

T his is where things get a little more complex, despite the unit being a single entity, as far as
Linux is concerned you have two pieces of hardware. T hus you need to refer to the Printer
section for the Printer, and the Scanner section for the Scanner. In other words you will need
both SANE and CUPS, each 'server' will deal with the relevant section of your hardware,
compatability information can be a little harder to find for these devices, in as much as you will
need to check the compatability database of both projects. Once again the LCH Database
(http://www. phoronix. com/lch/) is also a good resource.

3 of 6 13/05/10 22:22
Benscomputer.no-ip.org - Getting Started With Lin... http://benscomputer.no-ip.org/Articles/getting_sta...

Di gi tal Cameras

T here are two types of Digital Cameras, those that show up as a USB mass storage device, and
those that use a set protocol for communicating with your PC. T hose that show up as a USB
mass storage device will work quite happily on Linux, most of the ones that use a different
protocol will also work, but check whether it does on Li nuxcompati bl e.org
(http://www. linuxcompatible. org/compatibility. html) . T here do seem to be very few Digital
cameras out there that do not work with Linux, but there will probably always be a few. T he
number of compatible devices is not overly suprising given some of the graphics programs
available on Linux, If your Camera does not show up as a mass storage device you will probably
need a program such as gtk am (http://www. gphoto. org/proj/gtkam/) .
As ever Google is an invaluable resource if you do encounter problems.

Webcams

Webcams can be a little tricky, some work, some don't. Check Li nux Compati bl e
(http://www. linuxcompatible. org/compatibility. html) to find out if yours is supported. T he main
issue encountered with W ebcams is many of them use a compressed stream of video, and as the
compression used is not documented, it is hard for people to write Linux drivers for the chipset.
It requires painstaking reverse engineering. Still many W ebcams are Linux compatible
nowadays, and I have seen products with a little T ux printed on the box.
If you are thinking of buying a webcam, the T rust 120 Sp@cecam works quite well under Linux,
the resolution can be a little low but it does work well enough. T here are instructions (in PDF
format for now) on how to set it up here (http://benscomputer. no-ip. org/documents/Hardware
/Webcam. pdf) .

MP3 Pl ayers

MP3 Players can suffer the same issues as Digital Cameras, if your MP3 Player appears as a USB
mass storage device then it will work under Linux, however if it requires the MT P (Media
T ransport Protocol) it may not work. However an interesting tip for these devices is to use a
program designed to capture Photos from a digital camera to transfer music to and from your
MP3 Player. GTk am (http://www. gphoto. org/proj/gtkam/) is apparantly good for this. Use
Li nuxCompati bl e.org (http://www. linuxcompatible. org/compatibility. html) as well as the
LCH Database (http://www. phoronix. com/lch/) to find out if yours is supported. If you own an
Ipod then you can use Amarok (http://amarok. kde. org/) to transfer Music to and from it, as
well as setting up Playlists. Unfortunately if you own a Sony NW A series (NW A-1000, 3000 etc)
then your device is not supported, you will be able to put music on it, but for some reason
known only to Sony the player will not seem to detect the music (i.e. you won't be able to listen
to it).

External Hard Dri ves / Medi a Card Readers

Generally External Hard Drives (and for that matter most USB Flash memory sticks) will appear
as a USB Mass storage device (after all that is what they are) and will work perfectly, I have
never had any problems with any. Be aware however that many now come formatted with the
NT FS filesystem, Linux can read but not write this. If you intend to use the Hard drive with any
computers runing W indows I would recommend formatting it to the FAT 32 filesystem, if it will
only ever come into contact with non-W indows machines then use a filesystem such as ext2,
ReiserFS or similar.
Media Card Readers are all pretty well supported, however in my experience it is best to put

4 of 6 13/05/10 22:22
Benscomputer.no-ip.org - Getting Started With Lin... http://benscomputer.no-ip.org/Articles/getting_sta...

your SD/MMC/CF card into the reader before connecting it to the PC, otherwise the system will
not always detect your card.

Bl uetooth

Linux Bluetooth Support is still developing (at time of writing) however the current level of
support it more than sufficient. You will need a kernel with Bluetooth support enabled (most
Distros will ship with it enabled as default), and then 90% of bluetooth adaptors will work. As
with everything else check Li nuxcompati bl e.org (http://www. linuxcompatible. org
/compatibility. html) and the LCH Database (http://www. phoronix. com/lch/) .
T o properly utilise Bluetooth you will of course require a bluetooth suite, Kbl uetooth
(http://kde-bluetooth. sourceforge. net/) is very good (especially if you are just transferring data
between your Mobile phone and your PC). It is worth noting that if you wish to send Data from
your phone to the PC you will need the Obex Push Daemon (http://oss. bdit. de/opd. html)
installed and running.

Network Cards (wi red/wi rel ess)

Linux has very good support for wired network cards, if your network card is a 10/100 then you
can almost be certain that Linux will detect it correctly. Gigabit support is also very very good,
very few people will find issue's there. And for the corporate users out there (the only people I
know who can afford it) Linux also supports 10Gb networking. If your network is wired you will
encounter very few problems.
Wireless however is another story, many people now have wireless networks in their homes.
Linux's support for wireless network cards can be a bit lacking at times. However most Belkin
cards seem to be supported, as do adaptors based on the ZD1211 chipset (I got a USB W ifi dongle
based on this for 9.99). As ever Google is your friend, as are Linuxcompatible.org and the LCH
database. If it appears your W ireless network adaptor is not supported natively by Linux, there
is another option - ndi swrapper (http://ndiswrapper. sourceforge. net/) - without going into too
much detail it emulates Window's ndis API, and allows you to use the windows drivers on Linux.
Beware though it does take some setting up. If you do decide to take the ndiswrapper route keep
in mind that by using it to load the Windows drivers you are running un-trusted code (do you trust
the hardware vendor not to make any mistakes?) with superuser privileges. T here will often be
a link available to a driver that is known to work with Ndiswrapper (it is of course card
specific), if available use that!

Laptops

Laptops can be a bit funny with Linux. T he problem is that in order to achieve maximum
performance, with minimal heat output and weight, the manufacturers tend to take a standard
chip and modify it. T his of course can change the way in which it operates, but they adapt their
Windows device drivers to reflect that. T his does not do you a lot of good if you have just bought
a new Laptop and want to run Linux on it however. Your first point of call should be
Li nuxl aptops.com (http://linuxlaptops. com/) followed by l i nux-l aptop.net (http://www. linux-
laptop. net/) . If you are buying a new laptop then try to aim for models you know are supported,
which often means going for vendors who openly support Linux. IBM is a good example, their
T hinkpad laptop series has built up quite a following, and has its own dedicated webri ng
(http://t. webring. com/hub?ring=linuxthinkpad) for installing Linux on a T hinkpad. W ith careful
examination of the specifications of the laptop you wish to obtain it is easily possible to
ascertain whether or not Linux will run on it or not. Simply use the resources already listed on
this page to look at the compatibility of each device one by one.

5 of 6 13/05/10 22:22
Benscomputer.no-ip.org - Getting Started With Lin... http://benscomputer.no-ip.org/Articles/getting_sta...

Don't be afraid to experiment a bit, it may be that one Distro will not work on your laptop whilst
others will. Every Distro has its own strengths and weaknesses, it is just about finding the
correct one for you and your system. If you are an experienced Linux user then my personal
recommendation for any Linux supported Laptop is Gentoo (http://www. gentoo. org) but only
attempt it if you don't mind getting your hands dirty with the installation.
Sadly Laptops are so varied and diverse that it is not possible to conver all aspects of them,
however if you use your initiative and play around a bit you will find that you have very few
problems. Distro choice is very important, don't underestimate the value of trying different
Distros on your system.

Arti cl es Al so Avai l abl e

Getting Started with Linux Introduction Part 2 - Hardware

Getti ng Started Wi th Li nux (http://benscomputer. no-ip. org/Articles/getting_started. html)

Getti ng Started Wi th Li nux - Instal l i ng Software (http://benscomputer. no-ip. org/Articles

/getting_started2. html)

6 of 6 13/05/10 22:22