Do linux need drivers like windows?

Replies

• 

  Aashish Joshi

  Yes, every OS needs drivers to interact with you computer's hardware. I havent used KALI Linux so i can't give you any specific details, but most linux distros come with drivers for common devices.
  
  By the way, any specific reason for this distro? 😀
• 

  pratap singh, upendra

  Every distribution of Linux does require drivers.
  
  Do not see the drivers as a setup (.exe) file as you see in Windows. Drivers are basically programs written to allow for amenable interaction between human and computer hardware.
  
  All such programs are sitting in /etc/ directory of your filesystem. Most of these programs are written in C or bash language and are meant to achieve specific goals.
  
  In LINUX, there are few drivers that are in-built. Others have to be compiled separately.
• 

  Jatin Kumar

  Aashish Joshi

  Yes, every OS needs drivers to interact with you computer's hardware. I havent used KALI Linux so i can't give you any specific details, but most linux distros come with drivers for common devices.
  
  By the way, any specific reason for this distro? 😀

  got so many SPL tools and there is much to learn
  
  

  proffy

  Every distribution of Linux does require drivers.
  
  Do not see the drivers as a setup (.exe) file as you see in Windows. Drivers are basically programs written to allow for amenable interaction between human and computer hardware.
  
  All such programs are sitting in /etc/ directory of your filesystem. Most of these programs are written in C or bash language and are meant to achieve specific goals.
  
  In LINUX, there are few drivers that are in-built. Others have to be compiled separately.

  where I can find these drivers ,is there any SPL website?
• 

  Aashish Joshi

  I see this is a debian based distro, you probably dont need to worry about the drivers they should be taken care of. However, i would recommend installing it as a virtual machine using Oracle's VirtualBox first. This way you can experience it without disturbing the current OS.
• 

  Jatin Kumar

  Aashish Joshi

  I see this is a debian based distro, you probably dont need to worry about the drivers they should be taken care of. However, i would recommend installing it as a virtual machine using Oracle's VirtualBox first. This way you can experience it without disturbing the current OS.

  I was doing it till now ,but in this case ram is divided b/w both os that creates problems in some apps
• 

  pratap singh, upendra

  Jatin Asija

  got so many SPL tools and there is much to learn
  
  
  where I can find these drivers ,is there any SPL website?

  Drivers, basically are encapsulated in what are called as packages. When you want to use a different service, you are prompted to install certain packages from the terminal. These packages contain the configuration and the service information all together.
  
  In Windows, there is a GUI (radio buttons, check boxes, drop down lists etc.) to configure a particular hardware or service. In Linux you have to install appropriate packages. Once you are done with the packages, certain files are going to appear with the extension .conf. These files have got modifiable parameters and their values (key-value pairs) where each key has got its own significance. The values associated with these keys have to be changed based upon your configuration requirements.
  
  Tip:
  Do not change these files if you are not sure as to what you are doing. You may end up corrupting the file system and the operating system.
• 

  Abhishek Rawal

  All opensource drivers all already upstreamed into Linux Kernel itself. So, unlike Windows you don't have to install drivers separately, except the proprietary ones.
  
  For example, If you have ATI Radeon graphics card, when you install a linux distro, it will by default install Radeon drivers (opensource drivers maintained by X.org devs), but if you need proprietary one maintained by ATI developers (known as fglrx), you can easily switch to it.
  Same with Nvidia gfx cards, Nouveau (opensource) is by default, you can pick proprietary one and replace it.
  
  Other hardware drivers like sound, touchpad, USB,etc. are already there in Linux Kernel itself.
• 

  Abhishek Rawal

  proffy

  Every distribution of Linux does require drivers.

  True.
  
  

  proffy

  Do not see the drivers as a setup (.exe) file as you see in Windows. Drivers are basically programs written to allow for amenable interaction between human and computer hardware.

  Okay.
  
  

  proffy

  All such programs are sitting in /etc/ directory of your filesystem. Most of these programs are written in C or bash language and are meant to achieve specific goals.

  Whaaaaaat ?
  /etc directory simply contains configuration files, simple as that. Drivers don't reside there. Depends on the use of device, it resides in user-space or kernel-space of Kernel. If device need to respond to interrupts then it is to be written in kernel space.
  
  

  proffy

  In LINUX, there are few drivers that are in-built. Others have to be compiled separately.

  This is ultimate bullshit. Not few but most drivers are already there in Linux kernel itself. Let me tell you, If you're going to install Linux distro in machine, you'll hardly have to waste time in installing any driver cuz kernel have it all, except proprietary drivers.
  Proprietary drivers are never accepted or merged in mainline.
• 

  Abhishek Rawal

  Jatin Asija

  where I can find these drivers ,is there any SPL website?

  You won't find these drivers anywhere, 'cuz you don't need it.
  Only the proprietary graphics drivers will be available in Nvidia and ATI website.
  But if you're not going to game in Linux, you don't even have to care about proprietary blob because Opensource drivers are already installed by default, which works out of box.
• 

  pratap singh, upendra

  Abhishek Rawal

  /etc directory simply contains configuration files, simple as that

  Well that was my mistake. Its 'configuration files' and not 'programs'.