Finding Linux Drivers for Hardware

It wasn't long ago that trying to find Linux drivers for server and client hardware wasn't easy. Several trends, however, have made moving to Linux much easier from a hardware perspective. These include

• Improved server and desktop PC vendor support for Linux distributions Many major computer vendors now sell Linux-based servers and desktops. Linux is pre-installed on these systems.

• Improved peripheral hardware vendor support for Linux Many peripheral hardware vendors now offer downloadable device drivers already customized for the most common Linux distributions.

• Automatic hardware detection when installing Linux Many Linux distributions detect and install hardware automatically.

Although you should make sure that Linux support is available for a particular server, network client, or hardware device before you move part or all of your network to Linux, Linux hardware support is no longer a major issue.