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The current distributions of Linux do very well on relatively new laptops. (See www.linux-laptop.net for an excellent research site on how Linux gets along with various makes and models.) If your laptop is a common brand, you shouldn’t encounter any problems installing Linux. However, some laptops resort to exotic hardware to squeeze all those fancy features into such tiny boxes. Sometimes Linux won't work with the extra fancy features on those laptops, such as touch screens, clickable mouse pads, and keyboard lights.

If you plan to purchase a laptop for Linux, check out its hardware specs (such as network cards) to make sure they’re not Windows-specific. If the built-in or default hardware for the laptop is Win-labeled (or you discover while researching the machine that it contains a Win product, even if it isn’t properly labeled), you might be able to switch the offending hardware with an external device that plugs into the laptop using USB. Most current laptops contain at least one USB slot to give you a place to connect an external network card or sound card. As long as you stick with a common brand of external USB device, it should work well with Linux.

If you need to find out exactly what hardware is in your machine, you have the following options:

 Use an existing operating system to document your hardware. If your computer is already running Windows, you can collect a lot of information from the Windows environment. In Windows 10, right-click the Start menu icon in the taskbar, and then choose Device Manager. The Device Manager dialog box, shown in Figure 2-6, appears.

 Download a PC hardware-detect tool. Some hardware detection tools are also available on the Internet, such as Dr. Hardware. The Dr. Hardware tool contains lots of information about what's inside your machine. This tool is shareware, and the usage and fee information is available from the Gebhard Software website (www.dr-hardware.com/).

 Access the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), or for newer PCs the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) information. Stored in a small area of memory and retained by a battery, this is sometimes referred to as CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), which indicates the type of computer chip that can store and retain information. The amount of information stored in the BIOS or UEFI can range from very little to quite a lot. Some newer systems may display several screens of information about the computer's hardware.FIGURE 2-6: In Windows 10, the Device Manager gives you information on what hardware you have installed.If you choose to access the BIOS, make sure you do so before any operating systems load. Most manufacturers indicate the keyboard key (or key sequence) that gets you into the BIOS (or Setup) screen when the system is starting up — for example, Press Del to enter Setup. If you can’t find the keyboard sequence, check the manufacturer’s website. After you’ve entered the BIOS, you typically navigate around with the arrow keys, Tab key, or Enter key. Some BIOS environments also use the function keys; look for a list of function-key options at the top or bottom of the screen.

Be especially leery of labels on hardware boxes and websites that include the term Win (as in Windows). These components rely on Microsoft Windows to be able to function — even worse, the packaging may show nothing that suggests this limitation. Only a very slight chance exists that you can find a Linux driver for Win hardware. If you do find one, copy it to a USB stick before you install Linux.