Key takeaway: Most mainstream printers, scanners and everyday peripherals work automatically on Linux thanks to built-in drivers, though it is worth checking your specific model's support before switching if printing is essential to you.
Peripherals are one of the more common worries when switching to Linux, largely because Windows has trained people to expect a manual driver installation process. In practice, Linux handles most everyday hardware automatically, though there are a few categories worth understanding in more detail.
Printers
Linux uses a printing system called CUPS, which includes built-in support for a huge range of printers from major manufacturers — HP, Canon, Epson, Brother — without needing to hunt down manufacturer drivers separately in most cases. Plugging in a USB printer, or connecting one already set up on your home network, will often result in it being detected and ready to use within moments, appearing in your distribution's Printers settings.
HP printers in particular tend to have excellent Linux support through HPLIP, HP's own Linux printing software, which is usually pre-installed or a single click away in the Software Manager. Some very new printer models, or ones with unusual proprietary features (multi-function scanning over Wi-Fi, particularly), occasionally need extra setup or lack full feature support, so checking your specific model against the OpenPrinting database before switching is a sensible precaution.
Scanners
Scanning is handled through a system called SANE, and works well with most flatbed and multi-function device scanners, using a simple graphical tool such as Simple Scan (included by default on many distributions) for everyday use — select your scanner, choose a resolution, and scan directly to PDF or image files.
Tip: If your printer/scanner combo appears in the Printers settings but scanning does not work immediately, checking that the "sane-airscan" package is installed often resolves it for network-connected multi-function devices.
External monitors and displays
Connecting an external monitor via HDMI or DisplayPort works essentially the same as on Windows — plug in, and your distribution's Display settings let you choose to extend, mirror or set resolution and arrangement, much like Windows' own display settings panel.
Webcams, keyboards and mice
Standard USB and Bluetooth keyboards and mice work automatically with no setup required. Webcams generally work out of the box in video-calling software, though a small number of unusual or very new models may have limited support for advanced features like background blur, which some manufacturers implement through Windows-only software.
Bluetooth devices and headphones
Bluetooth support on Linux is handled well by mainstream distributions, and pairing a Bluetooth speaker, headphones or keyboard is generally a case of opening the Bluetooth settings, switching the device into pairing mode, and selecting it from the list, much like on Windows. Audio quality with higher-end Bluetooth codecs has historically lagged slightly behind Windows and macOS, though it has improved considerably in recent years and is perfectly acceptable for everyday calls, music and video.
External storage and USB drives
USB drives formatted as FAT32 or exFAT (common formats for external drives and memory cards) work without any extra steps. Windows' NTFS format is also readable and writable on Linux by default on most modern distributions, so external drives already in use with Windows will generally work immediately too.
Before you start: If a specific peripheral is essential to your daily use — particularly a multi-function printer or a specialist scanner — search "[exact model] Linux" before switching, to confirm real-world compatibility rather than assuming.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to manually download printer drivers on Linux?
- Usually not — CUPS includes built-in drivers for most mainstream printer brands and models, so plugging in or connecting over the network is often all that is required.
- Will my old scanner still work on Linux?
- Most standard USB scanners work well through SANE, though very old or unusual models occasionally lack support — checking the SANE project's supported devices list beforehand is worthwhile if unsure.
- Can I use a wireless printer on Linux?
- Yes, network and Wi-Fi printers are generally detected automatically in the same way as on Windows, through your distribution's Printers settings.