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Comment by sirtaj | Hacker News Reader

This doesn't sound like any linux desktop I've used in the last ten years. Usually I pop a Mint usb in, go through the installer and come back to a system with almost all devices configured. Then it's just a matter of putting back my /home and there we are.

On a non-corporate Windows installation, that would just be the beginning, where I would be hunting for chipset drivers, graphics drivers, HID drivers, network drivers and any other devices I need, each needing separate hands-on installation.

Thank goodness that there's Ninite available now, otherwise all the basic apps that make up a Windows install would then still be another few hours of manual downloading and installation. And then there's restoration of your old Users directory, which is still a fraught process if you don't have a pretty good understanding of windows.

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> On a non-corporate Windows installation, that would just be the beginning, where I would be hunting for chipset drivers, graphics drivers, HID drivers, network drivers and any other devices I need, each needing separate hands-on installation.

You haven't installed Windows in a decade.

Ten days ago, in fact, which is why I feel so strongly about this. If your hardware had drivers included on disk, great! If not, at best you'll get generic drivers that won't give you full hardware support.

Some devices that worked out of the box on Linux but required drivers on windows, just off the top of my head: Bluetooth USB dongle. USB wifi module. Logitech webcam. Focusrite audio interface. HP printer (actually this one required firmware on Linux too, so that's a draw). XBox 360 controller (required a driver on Windows 8.1. Maybe that's changed in the last few months with windows 10).

> Bluetooth USB dongle

I admittedly don't use Bluetooth and every time I've tried it's been a horrible experience.

> USB wifi module.

Mine works fine, no driver download.

> Logitech webcam.

Mine works fine, no driver download.

> Focusrite audio interface.

I don't have one.

> HP printer (actually this one required firmware on Linux too, so that's a draw).

I haven't used a printer in probably 10 years.

> XBox 360 controller (required a driver on Windows 8.1. Maybe that's changed in the last few months with windows 10).

Nope. Not on 8.1. Not on 10. There may be an optional driver for it (may be-- I've never seen it), but it's certainly not required. This one I can firmly say you're wrong about. (Unless you have like a Chinese knock-off Xbox 360 controller-- the brand-name ones work.)

I had a great experience the other day when I plugged in my ancient CanoScan LiDE 200 scanner I bought back in the Windows 2000 days, and it worked flawlessly in Windows 10, no drivers or software needed.

Well, we've established we have differing hardware and differing requirements from our computers.

The wifi modules were a generic device with a Ralink/Mediatek chipset, and another TP-Link branded device. I don't recall the specific webcam verson, it's an older Quick series one that really should have worked.

> I had a great experience the other day when I plugged in my ancient CanoScan LiDE 200 scanner I bought back in the Windows 2000 days

In general this is a situation where Linux shines, because hardware tends to remain supported much longer as long as there's someone willing to keep the driver compiling. With TWAIN scanners it's a lot easier of course.

This scanner works out of the box on any distro with xsane too.

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