this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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What works/doesn't work is mostly down to what version of the kernel a distro ships. Most hardware drivers will be compiled into the kernel, or if not, shipped with the distro as kernel modules which get loaded as needed. Either way, the kernel version determines what is and isn't possible on a given install.
DualSense 5 support for example was introduced in Linux Kernel 5.15, IIRC.
Most distros ship a relatively up-to-date kernel, and hence, the actual hardware support is essentially identical. When it isn't, it's down to excluded/included kernel modules, which is usually something you can change if needed.
Others have already commented on the actual ways to find out what will and won't work, but in general, a newer Linux kernel means better hardware support.
If you try something, and some things don't work, you'll either have to figure out how to install and load the appropriate kernel module to get the appropriate driver working, or simply swap out the whole kernel for a newer version.
This is tricky on some installs, like Ubuntu based distros, very impractical on immutable systems, and super easy on distros like arch.
The real complications come when configuring things that Linux doesn't just automatically figure out sometimes. Fingerprint sensors, fan curves... If that stuff isn't a known and implemented standard on a given device, getting it to work isn't a matter of finding the right distro or kernel version.