Will my device work with Ubuntu?
I have a device on which I would like to install Ubuntu. How do I find out if Ubuntu will work on it?
system-installation
add a comment |
I have a device on which I would like to install Ubuntu. How do I find out if Ubuntu will work on it?
system-installation
7
Meta discussion about this question: “Can I run Ubuntu on my hardware?” questions: a discussion
– clearkimura
Dec 16 '17 at 17:03
@thomasrutter close away. This question exists as an implementation of the "Create a new canonical post about why questions like this are not suited to Ask Ubuntu (because <reasons>) with generic resources, links to better places to ask ..." idea in the meta question.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:41
help.ubuntu.com/community
– thomasrutter
Jan 9 '18 at 4:44
@thomasrutter this question exists so that we can point to people to something useful on this site when closing their questions, and to explain better why we can't answer questions like "will Ubuntu work on my laptop?", etc, rather than simply reiterating this for every such question in the comments. Linking to the Community Wiki as a whole simply isn't helpful in that context. They can't ask questions there.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:47
add a comment |
I have a device on which I would like to install Ubuntu. How do I find out if Ubuntu will work on it?
system-installation
I have a device on which I would like to install Ubuntu. How do I find out if Ubuntu will work on it?
system-installation
system-installation
asked Dec 16 '17 at 16:50
community wiki
muru
7
Meta discussion about this question: “Can I run Ubuntu on my hardware?” questions: a discussion
– clearkimura
Dec 16 '17 at 17:03
@thomasrutter close away. This question exists as an implementation of the "Create a new canonical post about why questions like this are not suited to Ask Ubuntu (because <reasons>) with generic resources, links to better places to ask ..." idea in the meta question.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:41
help.ubuntu.com/community
– thomasrutter
Jan 9 '18 at 4:44
@thomasrutter this question exists so that we can point to people to something useful on this site when closing their questions, and to explain better why we can't answer questions like "will Ubuntu work on my laptop?", etc, rather than simply reiterating this for every such question in the comments. Linking to the Community Wiki as a whole simply isn't helpful in that context. They can't ask questions there.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:47
add a comment |
7
Meta discussion about this question: “Can I run Ubuntu on my hardware?” questions: a discussion
– clearkimura
Dec 16 '17 at 17:03
@thomasrutter close away. This question exists as an implementation of the "Create a new canonical post about why questions like this are not suited to Ask Ubuntu (because <reasons>) with generic resources, links to better places to ask ..." idea in the meta question.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:41
help.ubuntu.com/community
– thomasrutter
Jan 9 '18 at 4:44
@thomasrutter this question exists so that we can point to people to something useful on this site when closing their questions, and to explain better why we can't answer questions like "will Ubuntu work on my laptop?", etc, rather than simply reiterating this for every such question in the comments. Linking to the Community Wiki as a whole simply isn't helpful in that context. They can't ask questions there.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:47
7
7
Meta discussion about this question: “Can I run Ubuntu on my hardware?” questions: a discussion
– clearkimura
Dec 16 '17 at 17:03
Meta discussion about this question: “Can I run Ubuntu on my hardware?” questions: a discussion
– clearkimura
Dec 16 '17 at 17:03
@thomasrutter close away. This question exists as an implementation of the "Create a new canonical post about why questions like this are not suited to Ask Ubuntu (because <reasons>) with generic resources, links to better places to ask ..." idea in the meta question.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:41
@thomasrutter close away. This question exists as an implementation of the "Create a new canonical post about why questions like this are not suited to Ask Ubuntu (because <reasons>) with generic resources, links to better places to ask ..." idea in the meta question.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:41
help.ubuntu.com/community
– thomasrutter
Jan 9 '18 at 4:44
help.ubuntu.com/community
– thomasrutter
Jan 9 '18 at 4:44
@thomasrutter this question exists so that we can point to people to something useful on this site when closing their questions, and to explain better why we can't answer questions like "will Ubuntu work on my laptop?", etc, rather than simply reiterating this for every such question in the comments. Linking to the Community Wiki as a whole simply isn't helpful in that context. They can't ask questions there.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:47
@thomasrutter this question exists so that we can point to people to something useful on this site when closing their questions, and to explain better why we can't answer questions like "will Ubuntu work on my laptop?", etc, rather than simply reiterating this for every such question in the comments. Linking to the Community Wiki as a whole simply isn't helpful in that context. They can't ask questions there.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:47
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
Try it out.
This is the only real answer — there is enough variation in hardware specifics (even in a given model), and software changes too often, for any specific answer to remain valid long enough. Conversely, the many different components involved can cause many, different and unrelated, problems, so a post about what will happen with a specific device doesn't fit well with the Stack Exchange Question & Answer format:
You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual
problems that you face. Chatty, open-ended questions diminish the
usefulness of our site and push other questions off the front page.
Help: What types of questions should I avoid asking?
We can't handle open-ended questions about what problems you could face, but questions about specific problems are much better.
Live
You can make a bootable USB from the Ubuntu installation ISOs, and then try out a live session instead of installing. The live session doesn't make changes to your system by itself, so it's a safe way to test drive Ubuntu. However, even a successful run of the live session is not a certain indicator - there have been cases where the live session worked fine but the installed Ubuntu didn't.
- As a minimal check, first see: What are the system requirements for each flavour of Ubuntu Desktop? and the list of Ubuntu certified devices. Certified devices might rely on proprietary drivers, and so may work best with the specific Ubuntu release for which they were certified.
- If your system is underpowered, then see: How do I find out which version and derivative of Ubuntu is right for my hardware in terms of minimal system requirements? Pick a lightweight flavour like Lubuntu or Xubuntu and proceed. Hardware support is the same across flavours (same kernel, same repositories) but hardware requirements can differ.
- You can try a normal release, or an LTS release: What's the difference between a Long Term Support Release and a Normal Release?
Now, proceed to the first few steps of: How do I install Ubuntu? You should see an option to "Try Ubuntu":
UEFI boot:
BIOS/UEFI legacy boot:
Once the live session starts, play around a bit with Ubuntu to see how much of your hardware works and how well it works. Try to narrow down any problems that you faced, and post individual questions with relevant details. Then we can help you with the specifics.
What follows is a set of links, both to posts here on Ask Ubuntu, and elsewhere, that can help you in your quest. I'll try to avoid passing judgement on any particular manufacturer, but instead try to link to canonical posts that's likely to be kept updated. The major tag for each section is also given next to heading, use them when asking questions. So, for example, a WiFi problem with a Qualcomm Atheros chip would be tagged networking wireless atheros and include the output of the wireless info script.
Common problem points
Hardware support can be hit and miss. It is helpful if you can lookup the exact hardware configuration of your system (i.e., not "3GB graphics" or "Killer WiFi", but "NVidia GTX 670MX" or "Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac" - the exact model number is important).
- I have a hardware detection problem, what logs do I need to look into?
- How can I find my hardware details?
Dual-boot dual-boot
- How can I install Ubuntu without removing Windows?
- You might have problems accessing the Windows partitions. See Unable to mount Windows (NTFS) filesystem due to hibernation
UEFI uefi
Recent releases of Ubuntu tend to play well with UEFI. See How do I install Ubuntu alongside a pre-installed Windows with UEFI?
Networking networking
WiFi wireless
Post a question with the information from My wireless/WiFi connection does not work. What information is needed to diagnose the issue?
Broadcom broadcom
- Installing Broadcom Wireless Drivers
Kernel Wireless Wiki's list of supported devices (and for the legacy driver)
Release Notes - look for your device in the Release Notes
Qualcomm atheros
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
Intel iwlwifi
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
- Intel's page on Linux* Support for Intel® Wireless Adapters
Ethernet ethernet
- Is there any way to install Atheros e2400 drivers?
Graphics graphics
- My computer boots to a black screen, what options do I have to fix it?
NVidia nvidia
- How do I install the Nvidia drivers?
NVIDIA Unix Drivers - this page links to specific driver versions. Each version has a list of supported devices.
AMD amd-graphics
- Ubuntu 14.04.5/16.04/16.10/17.10 and AMD graphics
- Which graphics cards are supported by the new AMDGPU driver in Ubuntu 16.04?
AMDGPU-PRO Release Notes (see section on product compatibility)
Intel intel-graphics
No version of Ubuntu can be installed with any Skylake 6th generation Intel processor (not really, it just needs a kernel version > 4.3 so a new enough Ubuntu should work out-of-the-box).
CPU cpu
Intel intel
Is the 64-Bit version of Ubuntu only compatible with AMD CPUs? (Spoiler: no.)- Updated kernel to 4.8 now missing firmware warnings
- System freezes completely with Intel Bay Trail
ARM arm
If you have an ARM device, these might be informative:
Can a Raspberry Pi run Ubuntu?- True Ubuntu on Chromebook ARM
Fingerprint reader fingerprint-reader
How do I install a fingerprint reader on Lenovo ThinkPad? (it's actually more general than just Thinkpads)- Driver for Validity Sensors Fingerprint scanner
Webcams webcam
- Integrated webcam not detected after update to 14.04
SSDs ssd
How to enable TRIM? (spoiler: you probably don't have to)
Touchpad touchpad
- Synaptic touchpad on laptop not working
How do I make modprobe changes permanent? - if you keep having to runmodprobeto activate your touchpad.
Sound sound
- Ubuntu refuses to output audio via HDMI
Might be worthwhile to note devices known to be troublesome out of the box. such as nVidia discrete graphics, and broadcom wifi.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:05
@ravery (not trying to argue here, but) There's a reason I said I'd try to avoid passing judgement on manufacturers. That sort of thing becomes extremely hard to correct once it becomes "received wisdom". I have been using nVidia for ~5 years now, and the two cards I have work fine, but I also know people who have never managed to get nVidia cards working. Which experience would I include?
– muru
Dec 16 '17 at 17:10
agreeably true. performance for a particular device can vary depending on the manufacturer of the computer, especially in laptops.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:17
1
A dual-boot note: I just bought a new laptop a few days ago with Windows 10, and it had bitlocker enabled. I couldn't resize the Windows partition without going into Windows and disabling bitlocker.
– Izkata
Dec 16 '17 at 22:24
add a comment |
As for webcams the ubuntu webcam help page is a good start.
You may also search the list of devices supported by uvc driver directly.
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Try it out.
This is the only real answer — there is enough variation in hardware specifics (even in a given model), and software changes too often, for any specific answer to remain valid long enough. Conversely, the many different components involved can cause many, different and unrelated, problems, so a post about what will happen with a specific device doesn't fit well with the Stack Exchange Question & Answer format:
You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual
problems that you face. Chatty, open-ended questions diminish the
usefulness of our site and push other questions off the front page.
Help: What types of questions should I avoid asking?
We can't handle open-ended questions about what problems you could face, but questions about specific problems are much better.
Live
You can make a bootable USB from the Ubuntu installation ISOs, and then try out a live session instead of installing. The live session doesn't make changes to your system by itself, so it's a safe way to test drive Ubuntu. However, even a successful run of the live session is not a certain indicator - there have been cases where the live session worked fine but the installed Ubuntu didn't.
- As a minimal check, first see: What are the system requirements for each flavour of Ubuntu Desktop? and the list of Ubuntu certified devices. Certified devices might rely on proprietary drivers, and so may work best with the specific Ubuntu release for which they were certified.
- If your system is underpowered, then see: How do I find out which version and derivative of Ubuntu is right for my hardware in terms of minimal system requirements? Pick a lightweight flavour like Lubuntu or Xubuntu and proceed. Hardware support is the same across flavours (same kernel, same repositories) but hardware requirements can differ.
- You can try a normal release, or an LTS release: What's the difference between a Long Term Support Release and a Normal Release?
Now, proceed to the first few steps of: How do I install Ubuntu? You should see an option to "Try Ubuntu":
UEFI boot:
BIOS/UEFI legacy boot:
Once the live session starts, play around a bit with Ubuntu to see how much of your hardware works and how well it works. Try to narrow down any problems that you faced, and post individual questions with relevant details. Then we can help you with the specifics.
What follows is a set of links, both to posts here on Ask Ubuntu, and elsewhere, that can help you in your quest. I'll try to avoid passing judgement on any particular manufacturer, but instead try to link to canonical posts that's likely to be kept updated. The major tag for each section is also given next to heading, use them when asking questions. So, for example, a WiFi problem with a Qualcomm Atheros chip would be tagged networking wireless atheros and include the output of the wireless info script.
Common problem points
Hardware support can be hit and miss. It is helpful if you can lookup the exact hardware configuration of your system (i.e., not "3GB graphics" or "Killer WiFi", but "NVidia GTX 670MX" or "Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac" - the exact model number is important).
- I have a hardware detection problem, what logs do I need to look into?
- How can I find my hardware details?
Dual-boot dual-boot
- How can I install Ubuntu without removing Windows?
- You might have problems accessing the Windows partitions. See Unable to mount Windows (NTFS) filesystem due to hibernation
UEFI uefi
Recent releases of Ubuntu tend to play well with UEFI. See How do I install Ubuntu alongside a pre-installed Windows with UEFI?
Networking networking
WiFi wireless
Post a question with the information from My wireless/WiFi connection does not work. What information is needed to diagnose the issue?
Broadcom broadcom
- Installing Broadcom Wireless Drivers
Kernel Wireless Wiki's list of supported devices (and for the legacy driver)
Release Notes - look for your device in the Release Notes
Qualcomm atheros
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
Intel iwlwifi
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
- Intel's page on Linux* Support for Intel® Wireless Adapters
Ethernet ethernet
- Is there any way to install Atheros e2400 drivers?
Graphics graphics
- My computer boots to a black screen, what options do I have to fix it?
NVidia nvidia
- How do I install the Nvidia drivers?
NVIDIA Unix Drivers - this page links to specific driver versions. Each version has a list of supported devices.
AMD amd-graphics
- Ubuntu 14.04.5/16.04/16.10/17.10 and AMD graphics
- Which graphics cards are supported by the new AMDGPU driver in Ubuntu 16.04?
AMDGPU-PRO Release Notes (see section on product compatibility)
Intel intel-graphics
No version of Ubuntu can be installed with any Skylake 6th generation Intel processor (not really, it just needs a kernel version > 4.3 so a new enough Ubuntu should work out-of-the-box).
CPU cpu
Intel intel
Is the 64-Bit version of Ubuntu only compatible with AMD CPUs? (Spoiler: no.)- Updated kernel to 4.8 now missing firmware warnings
- System freezes completely with Intel Bay Trail
ARM arm
If you have an ARM device, these might be informative:
Can a Raspberry Pi run Ubuntu?- True Ubuntu on Chromebook ARM
Fingerprint reader fingerprint-reader
How do I install a fingerprint reader on Lenovo ThinkPad? (it's actually more general than just Thinkpads)- Driver for Validity Sensors Fingerprint scanner
Webcams webcam
- Integrated webcam not detected after update to 14.04
SSDs ssd
How to enable TRIM? (spoiler: you probably don't have to)
Touchpad touchpad
- Synaptic touchpad on laptop not working
How do I make modprobe changes permanent? - if you keep having to runmodprobeto activate your touchpad.
Sound sound
- Ubuntu refuses to output audio via HDMI
Might be worthwhile to note devices known to be troublesome out of the box. such as nVidia discrete graphics, and broadcom wifi.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:05
@ravery (not trying to argue here, but) There's a reason I said I'd try to avoid passing judgement on manufacturers. That sort of thing becomes extremely hard to correct once it becomes "received wisdom". I have been using nVidia for ~5 years now, and the two cards I have work fine, but I also know people who have never managed to get nVidia cards working. Which experience would I include?
– muru
Dec 16 '17 at 17:10
agreeably true. performance for a particular device can vary depending on the manufacturer of the computer, especially in laptops.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:17
1
A dual-boot note: I just bought a new laptop a few days ago with Windows 10, and it had bitlocker enabled. I couldn't resize the Windows partition without going into Windows and disabling bitlocker.
– Izkata
Dec 16 '17 at 22:24
add a comment |
Try it out.
This is the only real answer — there is enough variation in hardware specifics (even in a given model), and software changes too often, for any specific answer to remain valid long enough. Conversely, the many different components involved can cause many, different and unrelated, problems, so a post about what will happen with a specific device doesn't fit well with the Stack Exchange Question & Answer format:
You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual
problems that you face. Chatty, open-ended questions diminish the
usefulness of our site and push other questions off the front page.
Help: What types of questions should I avoid asking?
We can't handle open-ended questions about what problems you could face, but questions about specific problems are much better.
Live
You can make a bootable USB from the Ubuntu installation ISOs, and then try out a live session instead of installing. The live session doesn't make changes to your system by itself, so it's a safe way to test drive Ubuntu. However, even a successful run of the live session is not a certain indicator - there have been cases where the live session worked fine but the installed Ubuntu didn't.
- As a minimal check, first see: What are the system requirements for each flavour of Ubuntu Desktop? and the list of Ubuntu certified devices. Certified devices might rely on proprietary drivers, and so may work best with the specific Ubuntu release for which they were certified.
- If your system is underpowered, then see: How do I find out which version and derivative of Ubuntu is right for my hardware in terms of minimal system requirements? Pick a lightweight flavour like Lubuntu or Xubuntu and proceed. Hardware support is the same across flavours (same kernel, same repositories) but hardware requirements can differ.
- You can try a normal release, or an LTS release: What's the difference between a Long Term Support Release and a Normal Release?
Now, proceed to the first few steps of: How do I install Ubuntu? You should see an option to "Try Ubuntu":
UEFI boot:
BIOS/UEFI legacy boot:
Once the live session starts, play around a bit with Ubuntu to see how much of your hardware works and how well it works. Try to narrow down any problems that you faced, and post individual questions with relevant details. Then we can help you with the specifics.
What follows is a set of links, both to posts here on Ask Ubuntu, and elsewhere, that can help you in your quest. I'll try to avoid passing judgement on any particular manufacturer, but instead try to link to canonical posts that's likely to be kept updated. The major tag for each section is also given next to heading, use them when asking questions. So, for example, a WiFi problem with a Qualcomm Atheros chip would be tagged networking wireless atheros and include the output of the wireless info script.
Common problem points
Hardware support can be hit and miss. It is helpful if you can lookup the exact hardware configuration of your system (i.e., not "3GB graphics" or "Killer WiFi", but "NVidia GTX 670MX" or "Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac" - the exact model number is important).
- I have a hardware detection problem, what logs do I need to look into?
- How can I find my hardware details?
Dual-boot dual-boot
- How can I install Ubuntu without removing Windows?
- You might have problems accessing the Windows partitions. See Unable to mount Windows (NTFS) filesystem due to hibernation
UEFI uefi
Recent releases of Ubuntu tend to play well with UEFI. See How do I install Ubuntu alongside a pre-installed Windows with UEFI?
Networking networking
WiFi wireless
Post a question with the information from My wireless/WiFi connection does not work. What information is needed to diagnose the issue?
Broadcom broadcom
- Installing Broadcom Wireless Drivers
Kernel Wireless Wiki's list of supported devices (and for the legacy driver)
Release Notes - look for your device in the Release Notes
Qualcomm atheros
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
Intel iwlwifi
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
- Intel's page on Linux* Support for Intel® Wireless Adapters
Ethernet ethernet
- Is there any way to install Atheros e2400 drivers?
Graphics graphics
- My computer boots to a black screen, what options do I have to fix it?
NVidia nvidia
- How do I install the Nvidia drivers?
NVIDIA Unix Drivers - this page links to specific driver versions. Each version has a list of supported devices.
AMD amd-graphics
- Ubuntu 14.04.5/16.04/16.10/17.10 and AMD graphics
- Which graphics cards are supported by the new AMDGPU driver in Ubuntu 16.04?
AMDGPU-PRO Release Notes (see section on product compatibility)
Intel intel-graphics
No version of Ubuntu can be installed with any Skylake 6th generation Intel processor (not really, it just needs a kernel version > 4.3 so a new enough Ubuntu should work out-of-the-box).
CPU cpu
Intel intel
Is the 64-Bit version of Ubuntu only compatible with AMD CPUs? (Spoiler: no.)- Updated kernel to 4.8 now missing firmware warnings
- System freezes completely with Intel Bay Trail
ARM arm
If you have an ARM device, these might be informative:
Can a Raspberry Pi run Ubuntu?- True Ubuntu on Chromebook ARM
Fingerprint reader fingerprint-reader
How do I install a fingerprint reader on Lenovo ThinkPad? (it's actually more general than just Thinkpads)- Driver for Validity Sensors Fingerprint scanner
Webcams webcam
- Integrated webcam not detected after update to 14.04
SSDs ssd
How to enable TRIM? (spoiler: you probably don't have to)
Touchpad touchpad
- Synaptic touchpad on laptop not working
How do I make modprobe changes permanent? - if you keep having to runmodprobeto activate your touchpad.
Sound sound
- Ubuntu refuses to output audio via HDMI
Might be worthwhile to note devices known to be troublesome out of the box. such as nVidia discrete graphics, and broadcom wifi.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:05
@ravery (not trying to argue here, but) There's a reason I said I'd try to avoid passing judgement on manufacturers. That sort of thing becomes extremely hard to correct once it becomes "received wisdom". I have been using nVidia for ~5 years now, and the two cards I have work fine, but I also know people who have never managed to get nVidia cards working. Which experience would I include?
– muru
Dec 16 '17 at 17:10
agreeably true. performance for a particular device can vary depending on the manufacturer of the computer, especially in laptops.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:17
1
A dual-boot note: I just bought a new laptop a few days ago with Windows 10, and it had bitlocker enabled. I couldn't resize the Windows partition without going into Windows and disabling bitlocker.
– Izkata
Dec 16 '17 at 22:24
add a comment |
Try it out.
This is the only real answer — there is enough variation in hardware specifics (even in a given model), and software changes too often, for any specific answer to remain valid long enough. Conversely, the many different components involved can cause many, different and unrelated, problems, so a post about what will happen with a specific device doesn't fit well with the Stack Exchange Question & Answer format:
You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual
problems that you face. Chatty, open-ended questions diminish the
usefulness of our site and push other questions off the front page.
Help: What types of questions should I avoid asking?
We can't handle open-ended questions about what problems you could face, but questions about specific problems are much better.
Live
You can make a bootable USB from the Ubuntu installation ISOs, and then try out a live session instead of installing. The live session doesn't make changes to your system by itself, so it's a safe way to test drive Ubuntu. However, even a successful run of the live session is not a certain indicator - there have been cases where the live session worked fine but the installed Ubuntu didn't.
- As a minimal check, first see: What are the system requirements for each flavour of Ubuntu Desktop? and the list of Ubuntu certified devices. Certified devices might rely on proprietary drivers, and so may work best with the specific Ubuntu release for which they were certified.
- If your system is underpowered, then see: How do I find out which version and derivative of Ubuntu is right for my hardware in terms of minimal system requirements? Pick a lightweight flavour like Lubuntu or Xubuntu and proceed. Hardware support is the same across flavours (same kernel, same repositories) but hardware requirements can differ.
- You can try a normal release, or an LTS release: What's the difference between a Long Term Support Release and a Normal Release?
Now, proceed to the first few steps of: How do I install Ubuntu? You should see an option to "Try Ubuntu":
UEFI boot:
BIOS/UEFI legacy boot:
Once the live session starts, play around a bit with Ubuntu to see how much of your hardware works and how well it works. Try to narrow down any problems that you faced, and post individual questions with relevant details. Then we can help you with the specifics.
What follows is a set of links, both to posts here on Ask Ubuntu, and elsewhere, that can help you in your quest. I'll try to avoid passing judgement on any particular manufacturer, but instead try to link to canonical posts that's likely to be kept updated. The major tag for each section is also given next to heading, use them when asking questions. So, for example, a WiFi problem with a Qualcomm Atheros chip would be tagged networking wireless atheros and include the output of the wireless info script.
Common problem points
Hardware support can be hit and miss. It is helpful if you can lookup the exact hardware configuration of your system (i.e., not "3GB graphics" or "Killer WiFi", but "NVidia GTX 670MX" or "Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac" - the exact model number is important).
- I have a hardware detection problem, what logs do I need to look into?
- How can I find my hardware details?
Dual-boot dual-boot
- How can I install Ubuntu without removing Windows?
- You might have problems accessing the Windows partitions. See Unable to mount Windows (NTFS) filesystem due to hibernation
UEFI uefi
Recent releases of Ubuntu tend to play well with UEFI. See How do I install Ubuntu alongside a pre-installed Windows with UEFI?
Networking networking
WiFi wireless
Post a question with the information from My wireless/WiFi connection does not work. What information is needed to diagnose the issue?
Broadcom broadcom
- Installing Broadcom Wireless Drivers
Kernel Wireless Wiki's list of supported devices (and for the legacy driver)
Release Notes - look for your device in the Release Notes
Qualcomm atheros
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
Intel iwlwifi
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
- Intel's page on Linux* Support for Intel® Wireless Adapters
Ethernet ethernet
- Is there any way to install Atheros e2400 drivers?
Graphics graphics
- My computer boots to a black screen, what options do I have to fix it?
NVidia nvidia
- How do I install the Nvidia drivers?
NVIDIA Unix Drivers - this page links to specific driver versions. Each version has a list of supported devices.
AMD amd-graphics
- Ubuntu 14.04.5/16.04/16.10/17.10 and AMD graphics
- Which graphics cards are supported by the new AMDGPU driver in Ubuntu 16.04?
AMDGPU-PRO Release Notes (see section on product compatibility)
Intel intel-graphics
No version of Ubuntu can be installed with any Skylake 6th generation Intel processor (not really, it just needs a kernel version > 4.3 so a new enough Ubuntu should work out-of-the-box).
CPU cpu
Intel intel
Is the 64-Bit version of Ubuntu only compatible with AMD CPUs? (Spoiler: no.)- Updated kernel to 4.8 now missing firmware warnings
- System freezes completely with Intel Bay Trail
ARM arm
If you have an ARM device, these might be informative:
Can a Raspberry Pi run Ubuntu?- True Ubuntu on Chromebook ARM
Fingerprint reader fingerprint-reader
How do I install a fingerprint reader on Lenovo ThinkPad? (it's actually more general than just Thinkpads)- Driver for Validity Sensors Fingerprint scanner
Webcams webcam
- Integrated webcam not detected after update to 14.04
SSDs ssd
How to enable TRIM? (spoiler: you probably don't have to)
Touchpad touchpad
- Synaptic touchpad on laptop not working
How do I make modprobe changes permanent? - if you keep having to runmodprobeto activate your touchpad.
Sound sound
- Ubuntu refuses to output audio via HDMI
Try it out.
This is the only real answer — there is enough variation in hardware specifics (even in a given model), and software changes too often, for any specific answer to remain valid long enough. Conversely, the many different components involved can cause many, different and unrelated, problems, so a post about what will happen with a specific device doesn't fit well with the Stack Exchange Question & Answer format:
You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual
problems that you face. Chatty, open-ended questions diminish the
usefulness of our site and push other questions off the front page.
Help: What types of questions should I avoid asking?
We can't handle open-ended questions about what problems you could face, but questions about specific problems are much better.
Live
You can make a bootable USB from the Ubuntu installation ISOs, and then try out a live session instead of installing. The live session doesn't make changes to your system by itself, so it's a safe way to test drive Ubuntu. However, even a successful run of the live session is not a certain indicator - there have been cases where the live session worked fine but the installed Ubuntu didn't.
- As a minimal check, first see: What are the system requirements for each flavour of Ubuntu Desktop? and the list of Ubuntu certified devices. Certified devices might rely on proprietary drivers, and so may work best with the specific Ubuntu release for which they were certified.
- If your system is underpowered, then see: How do I find out which version and derivative of Ubuntu is right for my hardware in terms of minimal system requirements? Pick a lightweight flavour like Lubuntu or Xubuntu and proceed. Hardware support is the same across flavours (same kernel, same repositories) but hardware requirements can differ.
- You can try a normal release, or an LTS release: What's the difference between a Long Term Support Release and a Normal Release?
Now, proceed to the first few steps of: How do I install Ubuntu? You should see an option to "Try Ubuntu":
UEFI boot:
BIOS/UEFI legacy boot:
Once the live session starts, play around a bit with Ubuntu to see how much of your hardware works and how well it works. Try to narrow down any problems that you faced, and post individual questions with relevant details. Then we can help you with the specifics.
What follows is a set of links, both to posts here on Ask Ubuntu, and elsewhere, that can help you in your quest. I'll try to avoid passing judgement on any particular manufacturer, but instead try to link to canonical posts that's likely to be kept updated. The major tag for each section is also given next to heading, use them when asking questions. So, for example, a WiFi problem with a Qualcomm Atheros chip would be tagged networking wireless atheros and include the output of the wireless info script.
Common problem points
Hardware support can be hit and miss. It is helpful if you can lookup the exact hardware configuration of your system (i.e., not "3GB graphics" or "Killer WiFi", but "NVidia GTX 670MX" or "Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174 802.11ac" - the exact model number is important).
- I have a hardware detection problem, what logs do I need to look into?
- How can I find my hardware details?
Dual-boot dual-boot
- How can I install Ubuntu without removing Windows?
- You might have problems accessing the Windows partitions. See Unable to mount Windows (NTFS) filesystem due to hibernation
UEFI uefi
Recent releases of Ubuntu tend to play well with UEFI. See How do I install Ubuntu alongside a pre-installed Windows with UEFI?
Networking networking
WiFi wireless
Post a question with the information from My wireless/WiFi connection does not work. What information is needed to diagnose the issue?
Broadcom broadcom
- Installing Broadcom Wireless Drivers
Kernel Wireless Wiki's list of supported devices (and for the legacy driver)
Release Notes - look for your device in the Release Notes
Qualcomm atheros
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
Intel iwlwifi
- Kernel Wireless wiki's list of supported devices
- Intel's page on Linux* Support for Intel® Wireless Adapters
Ethernet ethernet
- Is there any way to install Atheros e2400 drivers?
Graphics graphics
- My computer boots to a black screen, what options do I have to fix it?
NVidia nvidia
- How do I install the Nvidia drivers?
NVIDIA Unix Drivers - this page links to specific driver versions. Each version has a list of supported devices.
AMD amd-graphics
- Ubuntu 14.04.5/16.04/16.10/17.10 and AMD graphics
- Which graphics cards are supported by the new AMDGPU driver in Ubuntu 16.04?
AMDGPU-PRO Release Notes (see section on product compatibility)
Intel intel-graphics
No version of Ubuntu can be installed with any Skylake 6th generation Intel processor (not really, it just needs a kernel version > 4.3 so a new enough Ubuntu should work out-of-the-box).
CPU cpu
Intel intel
Is the 64-Bit version of Ubuntu only compatible with AMD CPUs? (Spoiler: no.)- Updated kernel to 4.8 now missing firmware warnings
- System freezes completely with Intel Bay Trail
ARM arm
If you have an ARM device, these might be informative:
Can a Raspberry Pi run Ubuntu?- True Ubuntu on Chromebook ARM
Fingerprint reader fingerprint-reader
How do I install a fingerprint reader on Lenovo ThinkPad? (it's actually more general than just Thinkpads)- Driver for Validity Sensors Fingerprint scanner
Webcams webcam
- Integrated webcam not detected after update to 14.04
SSDs ssd
How to enable TRIM? (spoiler: you probably don't have to)
Touchpad touchpad
- Synaptic touchpad on laptop not working
How do I make modprobe changes permanent? - if you keep having to runmodprobeto activate your touchpad.
Sound sound
- Ubuntu refuses to output audio via HDMI
edited Dec 19 '17 at 11:05
community wiki
12 revs, 4 users 90%
muru
Might be worthwhile to note devices known to be troublesome out of the box. such as nVidia discrete graphics, and broadcom wifi.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:05
@ravery (not trying to argue here, but) There's a reason I said I'd try to avoid passing judgement on manufacturers. That sort of thing becomes extremely hard to correct once it becomes "received wisdom". I have been using nVidia for ~5 years now, and the two cards I have work fine, but I also know people who have never managed to get nVidia cards working. Which experience would I include?
– muru
Dec 16 '17 at 17:10
agreeably true. performance for a particular device can vary depending on the manufacturer of the computer, especially in laptops.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:17
1
A dual-boot note: I just bought a new laptop a few days ago with Windows 10, and it had bitlocker enabled. I couldn't resize the Windows partition without going into Windows and disabling bitlocker.
– Izkata
Dec 16 '17 at 22:24
add a comment |
Might be worthwhile to note devices known to be troublesome out of the box. such as nVidia discrete graphics, and broadcom wifi.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:05
@ravery (not trying to argue here, but) There's a reason I said I'd try to avoid passing judgement on manufacturers. That sort of thing becomes extremely hard to correct once it becomes "received wisdom". I have been using nVidia for ~5 years now, and the two cards I have work fine, but I also know people who have never managed to get nVidia cards working. Which experience would I include?
– muru
Dec 16 '17 at 17:10
agreeably true. performance for a particular device can vary depending on the manufacturer of the computer, especially in laptops.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:17
1
A dual-boot note: I just bought a new laptop a few days ago with Windows 10, and it had bitlocker enabled. I couldn't resize the Windows partition without going into Windows and disabling bitlocker.
– Izkata
Dec 16 '17 at 22:24
Might be worthwhile to note devices known to be troublesome out of the box. such as nVidia discrete graphics, and broadcom wifi.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:05
Might be worthwhile to note devices known to be troublesome out of the box. such as nVidia discrete graphics, and broadcom wifi.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:05
@ravery (not trying to argue here, but) There's a reason I said I'd try to avoid passing judgement on manufacturers. That sort of thing becomes extremely hard to correct once it becomes "received wisdom". I have been using nVidia for ~5 years now, and the two cards I have work fine, but I also know people who have never managed to get nVidia cards working. Which experience would I include?
– muru
Dec 16 '17 at 17:10
@ravery (not trying to argue here, but) There's a reason I said I'd try to avoid passing judgement on manufacturers. That sort of thing becomes extremely hard to correct once it becomes "received wisdom". I have been using nVidia for ~5 years now, and the two cards I have work fine, but I also know people who have never managed to get nVidia cards working. Which experience would I include?
– muru
Dec 16 '17 at 17:10
agreeably true. performance for a particular device can vary depending on the manufacturer of the computer, especially in laptops.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:17
agreeably true. performance for a particular device can vary depending on the manufacturer of the computer, especially in laptops.
– ravery
Dec 16 '17 at 17:17
1
1
A dual-boot note: I just bought a new laptop a few days ago with Windows 10, and it had bitlocker enabled. I couldn't resize the Windows partition without going into Windows and disabling bitlocker.
– Izkata
Dec 16 '17 at 22:24
A dual-boot note: I just bought a new laptop a few days ago with Windows 10, and it had bitlocker enabled. I couldn't resize the Windows partition without going into Windows and disabling bitlocker.
– Izkata
Dec 16 '17 at 22:24
add a comment |
As for webcams the ubuntu webcam help page is a good start.
You may also search the list of devices supported by uvc driver directly.
add a comment |
As for webcams the ubuntu webcam help page is a good start.
You may also search the list of devices supported by uvc driver directly.
add a comment |
As for webcams the ubuntu webcam help page is a good start.
You may also search the list of devices supported by uvc driver directly.
As for webcams the ubuntu webcam help page is a good start.
You may also search the list of devices supported by uvc driver directly.
answered Oct 19 '18 at 6:36
community wiki
karlsebal
add a comment |
add a comment |
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7
Meta discussion about this question: “Can I run Ubuntu on my hardware?” questions: a discussion
– clearkimura
Dec 16 '17 at 17:03
@thomasrutter close away. This question exists as an implementation of the "Create a new canonical post about why questions like this are not suited to Ask Ubuntu (because <reasons>) with generic resources, links to better places to ask ..." idea in the meta question.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:41
help.ubuntu.com/community
– thomasrutter
Jan 9 '18 at 4:44
@thomasrutter this question exists so that we can point to people to something useful on this site when closing their questions, and to explain better why we can't answer questions like "will Ubuntu work on my laptop?", etc, rather than simply reiterating this for every such question in the comments. Linking to the Community Wiki as a whole simply isn't helpful in that context. They can't ask questions there.
– muru
Jan 9 '18 at 4:47