Understanding hardware support

[Debee Norling]

Well the more I read, it seems the less I know.

I've been trying to figure out how to get Zipspeak to support at least one
of my PCMCIA cards.  I have both wired and wi-fi network cards that I'd
especially like to be using. (We run a neighborhood access point and also
run our own SMTP server on a VAX with a home network already in place.)

I am grateful to everyone who kindly offered to help me privately, but I've
learned so much from reading this list's archive, I'd rather ask general
questions now so the answers are public.  In no way am I trying to snub
anyone who offered to help off-list.

I'm really confused because I don't understand exactly how and where
hardware support is implemented. Some docs tell me to recompile my kernel.
Some docs say I need kernel patches. Some docs suggest I replace my kernel
with another one on the distro's CD. Some docs tell me to enable
auto-loading of modules. Some docs tell me to add modules.  Some docs tell
me to simply edit some cryptic file. Some docs tell me hardware will be
automatically detected.  This all sounds contradictory.

I need to be pointed in the direction of a how-to that gives clarification
about how to troubleshoot whether hardware is supported/detected and what to
do, and the order to do it in, when it isn't. I also have the additional
complication of Speakup, which I assume means I can't just replace my
kernel.

I'm not expecting device manager or plug-in-play; getting my hardware
working is part of the fun. But I'm surprised that so much of what I read is
inconsistent.

And guys, if I ever get this figured out, I'll write up something
unambiguous to explain it to the clueless!!!

--Debee