How Do Distros Not Support Hardware

[G.I.Josh]

I keep hearing about certain distros not supporting a piece of hardware, or another distro supporting a piece of hardware quite nicely.

If Linux, the kernal, is what handles hardware and driver modules, then how does a distro /not/ support something that another one does? They're all using Linux as the kernal, or they wouldn't exactly be a Linux distro. heheh.

[zdawg]

Well it depends on the specific kernel included with that distro and the patches they have applied at times. It is also dependant on userspace programs which interface with the device <-> kernel.
It can also be a proprietary driver issue as well.