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I don't have any specific model name, but was just wondering how people actually collect the drivers for Ubuntu. Do third parties provide them or they are available from Ubuntu App Store.

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Linux drivers usually come built in to the kernel or can be sourced from the manufacturer directly. You are not likely to find them in the Software Center (or via apt-get as you prefer). With popular hardware, community developed drivers are sometimes available.

If you are considering a usb modem (or any other hardware), always google the make and model number to ascertain Linux support. The manufacturers forums and Linuxhcl (or similar sites) can be a help too. While there will be many fully supported models, you are likely to get some that just don't work and it's better to find out before you buy and save yourself a lot of grief.

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Hmm..so the old wording.. "Act before doing and not after" applies here :) – Shamim Hafiz May 18 '11 at 14:26
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"Measure once, cut twice" or some form of that applies as well. "A stitch in time saves nine", etc. – music2myear May 18 '11 at 15:14
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It depends on the device. Ubuntu has an extremely wide selection of drivers included by default. Many manufacturers build Linux drivers and make them available for download from their websites. The Ubuntu forums are a great place to start if the drivers are not automatically loaded, or not available through the App "store" or from the manufacturer website.

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Thanks. So basically if it is found that a certain device doesn't have pre installed Ubuntu driver, a good move would be to report that in the forum and hopefully someone will take up the task to provide a supporting driver? – Shamim Hafiz May 18 '11 at 14:13
Someone might. But it'll take time. Maybe on the next version of Ubuntu. – Bibhas May 18 '11 at 14:40
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