Can client hardware run Linux?

Scott Lowe Tech Republic

Published: 15 May 2002 09:58 BST

Due to Linux's growing popularity on servers and newer desktops, and the recent release of Linux-native office suites, you'll need to consider you desktop's current hardware configuration before making the switch. This article will explain what you should look for when determining whether the hardware on which you currently run Windows is capable of running Linux.

Choose a good distribution

Before looking at your hardware, make sure that you are considering a distribution that has good hardware support. For example, if you are thinking about replacing Windows PCs with Linux, don't consider a Yellow Dog distribution, as it is a PowerPC-based product. If you stick with the bigger names such as Red Hat, Mandrake, or Debian, your hardware woes will be much lessened.

Look at the hardware
Many PC desktops shipped today will work with recent Linux distributions, but there are some vital things to check before migrating your Windows machines to Linux. Windows currently has a much more diverse set of drivers than Linux, meaning Microsoft's OS will work with a wider variety of hardware. Although vendor support for Linux is growing, some devices won't work with Linux. Here's a look at how to tell which ones will.

Video cards and monitors
When choosing a Linux desktop interface, it's likely that you'll wind up with either the Gnome or KDE interface, both of which are based on the XFree86 project. To determine whether your desktops' video adapter chipset is supported, visit XFree86's Driver Status page. You can also check SourceForge.net and your video card manufacturer's Web site. If, after looking, you don't find a video driver that will work, your only options are to wait until a driver for you particular card is written or replace the card with a supported one.