not sure correct area but i need a good wireless dongle to connect my pc to the internet and it would be nice if it works with linux because thats the main reason i need a new one cheers 
What do you need? N, AC?
USB or PCI adapter?
i think i need N but arent they backward compatiable? if so ill grab a AC one and which is usually faster pci or usb?
If you want AC the Edimax AC-1200 works on linux, although you need to compile your own driver from here: https://github.com/abperiasamy/rtl8812AU_8821AU_linux I'm not sure which other AC adapters work on linux.
Atheros QCA988x devices are all supported in Linux, you can get a list here https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Qualcomm_Atheros
Theres probably others.
ive got the dongle and im happy with it but how do i compile the drivers that work on linux?
The drive that I linked only works on kernels older than 3.18. You can check which version you have by running 'unable - r'. If you have 3.18 or newer let me know and I'll email you the patched file that I use.
To compile the driver you'll need to first install gcc and make if you haven't already. If you're on Ubuntu you can install it by running these commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gcc make
After that extract the files from the driver source, I usually extra it to /tmp but you can put it anywhere.
In the terminal change to whichever directory you extracted it to. Once you're in the directory run 'make' and once that has completed successfully run 'sudo make install'. Now if you plug the dongle in (if is already plugged in unplug it and plug it back in) and it should work.
You'll want to keep the driver files handy because you'll need to compile it again if you upgrade the kernel.
Sorry, i wrote that on my phone and the auto correct messed up. It's supposed to be 'uname - r'
is it possible to install anything on it without a internet connection?
Not really. Maybe you can download the packages on another computer and run them on it. You could try and see if it works without installing the packages but if they're not there then it won't work.
Is there no way you can connect to the internet with a cable or anything?
if i download the drivers from the site that work for linux will it work?
Yeah, download the driver from the link I gave earlier, but you will have to compile it.
no should i use the drivers from edimax's website?
No, they won't works with kernels newer than 3.10, and you'll still have to compile them. The one I linked is a patched version of the edimax driver which works on newer kernels.
ah k but how will i compile it?
Just follow the instructions from my earlier post. You will need make and gcc installed in order to compile anything, if you're lucky they will already be installed if not you will need to install them.
Then go to the directory that the driver has been extracted to in the terminal and run:
make
And after it finished run:
sudo make install
Then plug the dongle in or unplug it and plug it back in.
Do I just search in the search bar or do I use the terminals?
you need to use the terminal
what do i search in the terminal?
What do you need to search for?