Linux Drivers!?

Question

Does Linux come with drivers built it, Which version has drives built it. Is Linux worth switching over too!

Answer 1

Ubuntu is about the best free Linux driver-wise, IMHO. It is the first version I've tried that supports my scanner and my ATI video card. If you already have a copy of Windows and a big enough hard drive, you should partition your hard drive and put Linux on one half of it. I think Ubuntu will do that on install with the right configuration, but you'll have to read up on it before you start. Always read up on what you're doing before you start. So much documentation is out there, you'd be cheating yourself if you did not read it. Seriously, just search for whatever you're curious about. The first thing you should research is "dual boot computer with Linux and Windows" or "Ubuntu and Windows dual boot."

Linux does most of the same things as Windows and is easier for some things, but you often have better freeware available for Linux than Windows. Not many video games for Linux though, and some Windows media does not play so easily. Really any time you need to know something about working with Linux the search engine should be the first place you start. I really like Ubuntu a lot, but I'm a programmer and not an ordinary user. But it seems that Ubuntu was designed for the ordinary user, so you'll probably like it too.

If you just want to see what Linux is like with the minimum amount of trouble, you should download and burn something called Knoppix. It's a version of Linux that runs right off a CD without messing up your hard drive. It has few features and works very slow, but it will give you a vague idea of what Linux usually looks like. I would keep Windows around, though, at least until you get another computer. You might need it for something, and after all you paid for it when you bought your computer. If you need help, email me and I'll see what I can do. Good luck!

Answer 2

Fedora has better driver support. It also lets you choose between KDE and Gnome unlike Ubuntu. I hate Gnome.

Linux has built in drivers for devices. Some that are rarely used any more. Unless you run really odd hardware or bleeding edge there will be drivers built into Linux. They do not load unless that device is actually present in your system unlike windoze which loads the whole thing reguardless.

Generic drivers will also often suffice when dealing with oddball or bleeding edge hardware.

Best way to look at distros is download the live cd versions. Knoppix is the best example of the Redhat based distros like Fedora, Mandriva and CentOS. Ubuntu has it's own live CD to try out. At distrowatch you can check out dozens of distros. Find the one that's perfect for you.

Linux = freedom and control over your machine.

Answer 3

You apparently know nothing about linux, I would recommend Ubuntu or Kubuntu (kubuntu is better in my opinion) as your starting linux. The drivers come pre-installed for most devices, and it is incredibly easy to get the others if you learn even a little.