CHAPTER 8 GETTING EVERYTHING (Web hosting asp) UP AND RUNNING
CHAPTER 8 GETTING EVERYTHING UP AND RUNNING 79 drivers are usually tied into particular versions of Linux. Sometimes, they can be hacked to work with other versions of Linux, but this isn t something that beginners can take on themselves. Although the folks behind Ubuntu strongly support open-source software, even they realize proprietary drivers need to be used in certain situations. For example, it s impossible to use the 3D graphics elements of most modern graphics cards unless you have a proprietary driver. Because of this, it s often possible to grab proprietary drivers from the Ubuntu online software repositories. We ll look at connecting to these software repositories later in this chapter, in the Setting Up Online Software Repositories section, and you ll also learn how to download 3D graphics card drivers, in the Installing 3D Graphics Card Drivers section. Note Linux sees hardware in a technical way, rather than in the way humans do. If you attach something like a USB CD-R/RW drive, Linux will recognize the drive hardware and attempt to make it work. It won t try to find a driver for that specific make and model of CD-R/RW drive. Thus, Linux is able to work with a wide range of hardware because a lot of hardware is actually very similar on a technical level, despite the differences in case design, model names, and even prices! WHAT HARDWARE WORKS? The question of what hardware works under Ubuntu is one that s not easily answered. However, you can take a look at http://doc.gwos.org/index.php/HCL to see if your hardware is listed. This is an informal list created by the people who run Ubuntu s online forums, and it s not comprehensive (which is to say that there may be hardware that works fine that isn t mentioned). Nor is the list guaranteed to be 100% accurate. But it s certainly worth a look. You can find a Ubuntu hardware database at http://hwdb.ubuntu.com, but at the time of writing, it s fairly primitive and shows only basic details about various users systems. However, you can help the effort by submitting your own system information to the list: click Applications . System Tools . Ubuntu Device Database. This will anonymously submit a list of your computer s hardware. It s very likely that the list will be opened up to the public very soon, so you should certainly check the site if you re thinking of adding any new hardware to your system. A search engine like Google is your best friend if the two Ubuntu hardware lists don t help. Simply search for the brand and model of your hardware and add Ubuntu to the search string. This should return results, usually from the Ubuntu forums (www.ubuntuforums.org) or an individual s blog, written by those who have found a way to make that type of hardware work. Viewing Your Hardware When using Windows, you might have come across Device Manager, the handy tool that lists your PC s hardware. Ubuntu contains a similar piece of software, as shown in Figure 8-1, which you can open by selecting System . Administration . Device Manager.
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