If it uses standard USB mass storage, then the kernel would support it.

If the drive has non-standard bells and whistles, then it is possible that some whistles may not work; unless it is really niche hardware, it is likely the kernel would have some support for it, but you would want to check first.

On 10 July 2013 09:33, Mark Knecht <markknecht@gmail.com> wrote:

On Tue, Jul 9, 2013 at 10:02 AM, Ryan Dagey <dts@dagey.com> wrote:
> Hello Gurus:
>
>
>
> We have an office Gentoo server that I want to configure to run backups on
> an external USB drive.  I’ve attempted this in the past and ended up
> purchasing one that was not compatible (I don’t recall the name, started
> with a B I believe).  The issue was lack of Linux drivers/support, only
> Windows.  So I thought it prudent to see if you guys had an experience with
> external drives that work well with Gentoo.  Plug and play of course, as the
> drive will be moved to a fire safe when not in engaging backup, but I doubt
> that will be an issue with USB connectivity.  It doesn’t need any bells and
> whistles like some of the secure drive have, but we would consider any such
> benefits.  We would need at least 1-2TB, price isn’t as much of a concern as
> it is for a business client.  It is a 64-bit machine, so 32-bit only is out,
> not sure if that’s as big of a concern anymore.
>
>
>
> Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Ryan

I haven't had any problem with the 5 external USB drives I have. They
are either off-the-shelf Buffalo 500GB USB drives or I've purchased 3
NexStar 3 cases and put WD 1TB drives in them. Choose a file system
that allows labeling and if you're lucky like me you likely won't have
any problems.

Good luck,
Mark