Linux driver question?

Hey , this might be a noob question, but is there any way to install windows drivers for hardware (tablet and audio interface) in Ubuntu? I just started running linux and im having trouble doing this, ive downloaded WINE but im not sure if that's what i need or im using properly.

Thanks for any help.

In general it won't work.

Drivers work by plugging into the operating system's kernel. Kernels differ between different operating systems, and usually a driver written for one operating system won't work on another without modifying the driver itself.

There is one exception to this rule. Wireless card drivers written for Linux can generally be used on Linux by use of the ndiswrapper tool.

If you're having trouble getting hardware to work, a good place to start would be Google. Just type in the name of the hardware you're trying to get to work along with some Linux-related keywords ("linux" or "ubuntu", that kind of thing).

Some hardware just doesn't have drivers written for it yet. It's a bitch. The hardware companies, who know how to write them, sometimes don't contribute drivers to the Linux kernel because of intellectual property concerns, or they just don't see the payoff for having Linux support, and they can't even be bothered to give kernel programmers the information they would need to write their own drivers. So for some hardware, like tablets, getting them working can be just plain tough, if it's even possible.

Good luck!

EDIT: Also, WINE is for running Windows applications and not so much getting hardware working.

Edited by sikander, 22 August 2009 - 12:40 AM.

Thanks, im running wizarpen right now, so that solves half my problems, but it doesnt seem theres ny support for audio interfaces. its a shame , linux is pretty nice

What audio hardware are you using?

What audio hardware are you using?

Tascam US-144

check it: The Tascam US-122L (and US-144) under Linux

Google is totally a Linux user's best friend