Why your broken Linux drivers aren't actually Linux's fault

Published Aug 27, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT Steve has been editing and writing content for almost two decades, including product reviews, tech news, how-to guides, and even lifestyle and health topics. He’s served as chief editor for publications like Tech Junkie and Alphr, and has written and edited content for many other tech-related sites. His expertise in Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and Linux simplifies the gadget and computer world for others, enabling them to shop, connect, learn, tweak, and optimize devices and software to suit their needs. When he’s not writing or editing content, he enjoys repairing and optimizing devices (and game consoles), watching movies, golfing, and spending time with the family. While Linux teams can fail to handle drivers for some devices effectively (or wisely), it's not always their fault. Whether the discussion involves distributions like Ubuntu with GNOME on Wayland, openSUSE with KDE Plasma on X11, or even Manjaro with Xfce on X11, each OS can experience potential device or driver problems. Over time, Linux driver incompatibilities have improved, but they still carry some hiccups. My first installed Linux distribution was Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (used X11), and I had to learn quite a bit to understand how to format the drive in my dual-boot setup, install the OS, and deal with driver issues and configuration challenges. It took some time to figure it all out, but I eventually got my TP-Link Bluetooth adapter, ASUS Wi-Fi antenna, and my older NIC functioning decently, just not as well as it did on Windows 10. I blamed Ubuntu for not working with my hardware 100%. Sure, there's nothing more frustrating than installing a distribution like Arch Linux 2026.03.01 only to find that it won't boot, or a device does not work properly or efficiently, if at all. That's where consumers (especially former Windows users) think their Linux distribution doesn't work as it should. The misconception is that it is Linux's fault when their GPU, USB Bluetooth adapter, network card, or another device doesn't work, but it's usually the other way around. Linux doesn't always have access to official drivers to build into the kernel If manufacturers don't release open-source drivers, Linux distribution teams can't access essential code Credit: Steve Larner/How-To Geek Whenever you experience device/driver issues, it is often because of a lack of driver code availability for Linux teams. Developers usually have to reverse-engineer the products and try to build kernel drivers that work, but the Linux kernel is also getting smarter, which helps significantly. The only exception is when the manufacturer releases a proprietary driver for a device. Dev teams can't touch the code, of course, but you can install it on your Linux system if the OS allows it. My TP-Link UB-400 USB Bluetooth adapter (as mentioned earlier) only had drivers for Windows, so Ubuntu had no source code to use to make one. Ubuntu may have had a custom driver that could make it work, but I ended up installing a driver for another device that was recommended for my particular setup. As for the Wi-Fi adapter and the old NIC, you guessed it, they also didn't have a Linux driver for Ubuntu—or any Linux flavor for that matter. Customers complain about installation problems because of driver issues Incompatibility is the biggest challenge When I tried to use my ASUS PCE-AC68 Wi-Fi antenna, it wasn't playing nice with my old ASUS Essentio CM-1630 desktop where I installed Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. ASUS only provided Windows drivers, and Ubuntu didn't have a driver that made it work after installation. The problem was that the device did not support Linux at all, so I had to find another driver that could substitute its functionality. I eventually got it working, but of course, not at its full potential because the product only had official drivers for Windows. I certainly complained about Wi-Fi not working, but understood the complexities of the device having no Linux open-source or proprietary drivers. Other times, you may find your network card, old (or new) GPU, motherboard, or other device may not function effectively, if at all, assuming your Linux OS cannot find a compatible driver/kernel. While these situations can be Linux's fault, it is not always the case because of proprietary driver limitations. If the Linux dev teams reverse-engineer the device, they might create a driver that functions, but not as well as a proprietary driver that optimizes performance and features. One clever thing device manufacturers do is build features into their proprietary drivers, limiting what Linux teams can do, such as having no access to a device's exclusive GUI power management controls and functions or, more specifically, NVIDIA's exclusive Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) integration. On the other side of things, the Arch Linux dev team suffered from NVIDIA's discontinued support for GTX 1000‑series and older cards with Pascal and Maxwell GPUs. Yet users with legacy GPUs are often left to install unsupported packages like nvidia-470xx-dkms from the AUR or find alternative workarounds on their own—one reason some Arch Linux users switch to other distributions. Their decision breaks apps like Steam (meaning more steps) and often requires advanced processes to make your older GPU work. This incident surely raised numerous complaints. Device makers don't always budget for a Linux development team A manufacturer's allocated funding has its limits Credit: Tony Phillips/How-To Geek There are so many variations of Linux operating systems, based on several display server protocols (Wayland, X11, etc.) along with desktop environments like GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Xfce. Custom functionality and different repositories also play a role in the uniqueness of various systems, meaning that it's a challenge to find the right staffing for Linux support and development. It also requires an allocated budget for such departments and divisions, so the drive for Linux users must remain in demand for the company to justify the expense. If you think about it, Windows and macOS are common household names, but they are also operating systems with easier driver management and GUI-based functionality—yeah, we all know the headaches there, too. But Linux is more of a hands-on system focused on commands for everything, although GUI functionality and application management have become more of a focus for consumers. Today, there's a little more consumer and commercial drive to switch to Linux, especially since Microsoft is ending Windows 10 updates and support. Some companies have had Linux departments for a long time, while others don't have the staffing or funding to create such a department. Misplacing the blame While some dev teams' decisions lead to blame, such as the Arch Linux Nvidia driver support incident, most device issues are not a Linux distribution's fault. If they have open-source drivers to work with, that's great. If they don't, reverse engineering is their only solution, unless a manufacturer releases proprietary drivers that you can install in your Linux distro. But even when they do offer proprietary drivers, you and Linux can be stuck with whatever they provide as a driver, good or bad.