Browsing Czech translation

54.

Ubuntu offers support for a great deal of computer hardware and will run on most computers. However, some devices are currently unsupported and so cannot yet be used in Ubuntu. It is important to check that your hardware will work with Ubuntu before you make the switch, in order to avoid unnecessary frustration.

55.

Checking hardware compatibility

56.

The easiest way to check whether your hardware is compatible with Ubuntu is to make use of the Ubuntu Desktop CD, described in <xref linkend="preparing-trying"/>. This will temporarily load a cut-down version of Ubuntu which may be able to use the device in question. You might find that certain hardware devices do not function correctly; for example, you may find that sounds are inaudible, or that your printer does not function correctly. However, this does not necessarily mean that your sound card or printer is unsupported.

57.

Finding out hardware information

58.

To find out more information about your hardware while running Windows, press <menuchoice><guimenuitem>Start</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Run</guimenuitem></menuchoice>, type <emphasis>devmgmt.msc</emphasis> into the box provided and then press <guibutton>OK</guibutton>. This will start the <application>Device Manager</application>, which is able to show all devices currently connected to your computer.

59.

Make a list of the devices connected to your computer which are not functioning correctly, noting their make and model.

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Visit the <ulink url="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport">Ubuntu Hardware Support pages</ulink> and look-up the name of the device. It is possible that there is a simple way to get the device to function correctly; this might involve installing additional software, for example.

61.

If you find that a device is either unsupported or not mentioned on the Hardware Support pages, use a search engine website (such as <ulink url="http://www.google.com">google.com</ulink>) to search for Linux-compatible drivers for your device. For example, a search for 'hp 1022 linux' should hopefully reveal whether the HP 1022 laser printer is supported under Linux or not.

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Ultimately, the only way to be sure that your device works is by fully installing Ubuntu, especially if additional software (such as non-free device drivers) are required. See <xref linkend="installing"/> for more information.

63.

If you find that your device does not work after having installed the full version of Ubuntu, seek support from one of the <ulink url="http://www.ubuntu.com/support">Ubuntu support channels</ulink>. Ubuntu is a community project, and there will be many people on the forums, IRC channels, and mailing-lists who may be able to help you solve your problem. The solution may be as simple as installing an optional package to add support for your device.