Question An idea about hardware for linux

[Raul_McCai]

I've been reading manuals for Mobos. and stumbles across something interesting.
An AsRock mobo with intel 1700 socket has one lonely reference to linux in a paragraph about resolving legacy USB issues.
So I wrote them and asked if the board was compatible with linux Ubuntu.
I wrote to Asus with a similar question about any of their intel socket 1700 mobos.
Both said no.
OK Well I've used ASUS boards for my last three builds; my Dell laptop inspiron is running Linux Ubuntu. I had to use a different setting in the BIOS but then it was all good

Linux seems to do just fine on most Mobos because the generic drivers are all compatible but the specialty drivers may not be. And it appears that no one is building drivers with Linux in mind.

I've read that AMD based graphics cards don't work and play well with Linux but Nvidia do.


Maybe what would be better than an effort to list hardware that is compatible we should focus on those that are not.
I've seen the lists of Mobo's that have been tested with Linux. An odd thing they all have in common is that none of the tested boards were tested on a distro more current than Ver 16. This informs me that the lists are woefully obsolete; useless, they are completely without value.

It might be easier to keep current, and more useful, and it might pose as a marketing inducement to manufacturers if we were spreading the word that XYZ manufacturer of some specific card or board was non compliant guaranteeing that no one who sees the list would buy it.
Marketing types are more sensitive to people spreading negative information than just about anything else.
We could even convince the mods to make it sticky.
Do you agree? What do you think?

 

[dwd999]

I've been reading manuals for Mobos. and stumbles across something interesting.
An AsRock mobo with intel 1700 socket has one lonely reference to linux in a paragraph about resolving legacy USB issues.
So I wrote them and asked if the board was compatible with linux Ubuntu.
I wrote to Asus with a similar question about any of their intel socket 1700 mobos.
Both said no.
OK Well I've used ASUS boards for my last three builds; my Dell laptop inspiron is running Linux Ubuntu. I had to use a different setting in the BIOS but then it was all good

Linux seems to do just fine on most Mobos because the generic drivers are all compatible but the specialty drivers may not be. And it appears that no one is building drivers with Linux in mind.

I've read that AMD based graphics cards don't work and play well with Linux but Nvidia do.


Maybe what would be better than an effort to list hardware that is compatible we should focus on those that are not.
I've seen the lists of Mobo's that have been tested with Linux. An odd thing they all have in common is that none of the tested boards were tested on a distro more current than Ver 16. This informs me that the lists are woefully obsolete; useless, they are completely without value.

It might be easier to keep current, and more useful, and it might pose as a marketing inducement to manufacturers if we were spreading the word that XYZ manufacturer of some specific card or board was non compliant guaranteeing that no one who sees the list would buy it.
Marketing types are more sensitive to people spreading negative information than just about anything else.
We could even convince the mods to make it sticky.
Do you agree? What do you think?

Marketing people follow the market. The current estimate is that only 2.75 percent of desktop computers use linux. So they're not spending time and money on it, nor are they worrying about anyone saying their hardware doesn't work with linux. I've tried various linux distros, most recently Mint 21 Cinnamon. They're fine if they support all of your peripherals and if they don't its your problem.

 

[Grobe]

It isn't clear whether this is a motherboard you've already bought or are planning to buy.

If you already have this and the computer are up and running, you simply make a bootable usb stick by flashing an Linux ISO file to it, then boot up to the live desktop and you'll find out if it works or not.

Otherwise, If you plan to buy, then ensure you select a store that give you the right of returning a product even if it's opened and tested by customer. You assemble the computer, try to boot up with a usb stick. If it works you keep it, if not you return it.

 

[ComplexNumbers]

The ASRock Pro series for AMD/Intel usually work perfectly in Linux. And they are rather cheap.

In terms of graphics cards, it's the exact opposite of what you're saying. Intel and AMD GPUs/APUs work almost always perfectly. The AMD Linux driver is faster and more stable in Blender and other 3D software than the windows driver. The Nvidia drivers are almost as good but you are going to have more problems with e.g. popular Wayland technology on Nvidia.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

If you would rather just buy a really high quality build that has linux installed check out System76

then its all done. Everything works out of box

 

[dmroeder]

I've owned most of the major brands of motherboards, they all have worked with Linux. What you really have to watch out for is the cutting edge models, who's support hasn't made it into a particular distributions kernel yet. For example, I'm running Kubuntu 20.04 right now, which has the 5.4 series kernel. If I bought a cutting edge MB, and support for it was added in 5.15 kernel, I would either install a newer Kubuntu, or install a new Kernel version.

As for GPU support, they're all less than ideal IMO but I wouldn't be worried about buying either companies GPU's. I've used both over the years, while people will claim "better support" or "better performance", you'll never find yourself saying "this game plays like crap, I should have bought an NVIDIA instead (or the other way around).

I've probably built 20 or so computers in my life, almost all of them run Linux. I pay 0 attention when I'm selecting parts as to whether they are LInux compatible or not, I have not been burned yet. All I care about is selecting hardware that is compatible with each other and does it fit in my budget. Linux ran, every single time.

 

[Grobe]

All I care about is selecting hardware that is compatible with each other and does it fit in my budget. Linux ran, every single time.

There is another geopolitical factor in the picture, and being in a EEA country, I cannot help notice how many forum users (probably outside and other side of the ocean) that doesn't benefit from relatively strict rules of consumer rights.

I can buy any laptop from internet, and I can test to see if Linux run properly on it. If it doesn't I'm in my full right to return the computer (within limits of course).