I will be working on a build shortly, and I would like to build my next machine around Linux. I'm hoping to eventually become a full time Linux user over time.

Is there a particularly good source for hardware that has reliable Linux based drivers? Ideally, if a choice can be made between one piece of hardware and another based on superior driver support, I'd rather do that than have preventable problems popu up later.

Thanks in advance.

In terms of standard hardware, there really aren't many compatibility issues with modern kernels. Wireless devices still pose a bit of a problem, as do some high end sound cards, but pretty much everything else you could get for a desktop system is compatible. Chipset support is pretty much guaranteed for your motherboard, all IDE devices should be compatible (occasionally there are per-device fixes you need to enable in the kernel, but they are fairly rare) and SATA support is no longer a concern.

For video you would want to stick to Nvidia, that is pretty much the only thing you need to watch out for on the desktop. ATI has Linux drivers, but they are very poor compared to Nvidia's offerings.

What need to be looking for is HCL ( Hardware Compatibility List ) like the one on this board. There are many other sources. Some even test entire systems.

You can find information there. It is a somewhat difficult task to say the least. There is no one fool proof source of information. For example, wireless cards, can be difficult to track down. There are many manufactures, few supply linux KLM's ( kernel loadable modules ). However there are many native KLM's for certain chip sets.

You can see the language is different. In linux a KLM is like a driver in windoze, but not the same. A KLM loads into the kernel, to save us from re-compiling kernels. The KLM allows the kernel ( linux ) to access the hardware. Re-compiling will give you the fastest system, but that will scare off most noobs.

You do have the right idea, research first, before you buy. External hardware like printers and scanners can also be difficult to find out what will work out of the box. Some manufactures are getting better at supplying linux drivers, but you need to ask before you buy.

http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting

(epson or hp are good choices, avoid lexmark)

http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/

(webcam models come and go so quick, once you get one that works, buy an extra.

http://linux-wless.passys.nl/

buy by chipset, not brand. broadcom based can be a problem.