Will my hardware work on Linux?

Most of it, and you can find out about your own machine without installing anything. Each page below says how that kind of device behaves, which brands are safe, and what to check first.

The quickest answer for any one computer is to run Linux from a USB stick and try the thing you are worried about. Nothing is installed and nothing on your PC changes.

• Printers

  Works

  Most printers sold in the last decade print on Linux with nothing to install, because they follow the same driverless standards phones use.

• Scanners

  Partly · Mostly works

  Network scanners and most multifunction printers scan on Linux with nothing to install. Cheap USB all-in-ones are where it falls over.

• Wifi and Bluetooth

  Partly · Mostly works

  Intel wifi is the safe bet and just works. Broadcom chips in older laptops are the classic reason a machine half works after switching.

• Graphics cards

  Works

  AMD and Intel graphics are built into Linux and need nothing. NVIDIA needs its own driver, installed by ticking a box.

• Webcams and microphones

  Works

  Almost every USB webcam and USB microphone works the moment you plug it in, because both follow standards Linux has supported for years.

• Phones and tablets

  Partly · Depends on the model

  Android phones open as a folder and you drag files across. iPhones give you photos and backups, but no iTunes-style sync and no music transfer.

• Drawing tablets

  Partly · Mostly works

  Wacom tablets work out of the box on every mainstream distribution. Huion, XP-Pen and the budget brands work, with more setting up.

• Docks and monitors

  Partly · Mostly works

  Monitors work. USB-C docks that carry video directly work. DisplayLink docks need a driver Synaptics only builds for Ubuntu.

• Game controllers

  Works

  Xbox and PlayStation controllers are supported by Linux itself, including rumble, motion and battery level on the PlayStation pads.

• Audio interfaces

  Partly · Mostly works

  USB audio interfaces that follow the class-compliant standard work with nothing installed. The ones that ship a Windows driver disc are the risk.

• Fingerprint readers and webcam login

  Often a problem

  The weakest area on this list. Many fingerprint readers work, many do not, and there is no proper equivalent of Windows Hello face login.

• Smartwatches and fitness trackers

  Partly · Depends on the model

  Your watch keeps working, because it pairs with your phone rather than your PC. What you lose is the desktop companion app.

Oldest check on this page: 19 September 2026.