Hardware & Drivers
Hardware Compatibility & Driver Center
Debian hardware compatibility and driver diagnostics for NVIDIA, AMD/Intel graphics, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, laptops, and pre-install checks.
The Hardware Compatibility & Driver Center focuses on the issues that most often block Debian users: pre-install compatibility checks, graphics drivers, Wi-Fi adapters, Bluetooth, audio, webcams, laptop power management, and safe rollback paths.
Phase 3 Live
| Topic | Use it for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-install Compatibility Check | Decide whether a machine is Debian-friendly before buying or reinstalling | Live |
| NVIDIA & Optimus | Dedicated GPUs, hybrid graphics, CUDA, local AI, and black-screen triage | Live |
| AMD / Intel Graphics | Mesa, firmware, VA-API, video decode, and desktop acceleration | Live |
| Wi-Fi & Wireless Firmware | Intel, Realtek, and Broadcom wireless adapters that do not come up | Live |
| Bluetooth & Audio | Bluetooth headsets, microphones, missing outputs, and PipeWire diagnostics | Live |
| Laptop Compatibility | Touchpads, power, suspend, Fn keys, webcams, and docks | Live |
Fast Path
| Symptom | Start with |
|---|---|
| Debian is not installed yet and hardware risk is unclear | Pre-install Compatibility Check |
Black screen, external display issues, or nvidia-smi does not work | NVIDIA & Optimus |
| AMD / Intel graphics feel slow or browser video decode burns CPU | AMD / Intel Graphics |
| No Wi-Fi during installation or after first boot | Wi-Fi & Wireless Firmware |
| Bluetooth headset connects but has no audio, or microphone is missing | Bluetooth & Audio |
| Suspend, touchpad, Fn keys, webcam, or dock behavior is unreliable | Laptop Compatibility |
Diagnostic Principles
- Identify the device model and kernel module before installing driver packages.
- Prefer Debian repositories and backports over vendor
.runinstallers or unknown scripts. - Change one variable at a time: firmware, kernel, driver, and desktop session should not all change together.
- Record command output before and after changes so rollback and support requests are easier.
- Keep a fallback path for graphics and networking changes, such as TTY access or wired Ethernet.
Common Identification Commands
lspci -nnk
lsusb
uname -a
apt policy firmware-linux firmware-linux-nonfree nvidia-driver
journalctl -b -p warning
dmesg --level=err,warnBefore sharing logs, redact hostnames, usernames, SSIDs, MAC addresses, public IPs, serial numbers, and personal paths.