This dial-up modem did not work "out of the box" on my system, although others in the past have reported (on different web sites) they were able to get it working on their Linux systems (in the past.) While it's possible that one can get this working with enough know how and configuration changes, the inexperienced user will most likely not be able to do this, from a "plug it in, turn it on and after a few easy steps, start using it" standpoint. Old instructions (from 1999) on how to get this modem working can be found here: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/PCImodems.html Also, I'm guessing 1999 is the year of commercialization, although I'm not completely sure. This modem is unique in the sense that it is, from what I understand, a true hardware modem. These are rare in PCI format. Hope this is helpful...