Hardware devices are not of much use without device drivers. Fortunately, the Linux kernel, like every other
operating system, comes with a lot of them.
When you configure a kernel, the menu from which you must choose which devices you have in your
computer is actually a list of device drivers available to you. Here is how to configure your kernel:

cd /usr/src/linux
make menuconfig
or
make xconfig
Follow the Linux Kernel compling tutorial here Part1 and Part2

Linux, still not being as popular as some other operating systems, can’t support all of the existing hardware.
If you have a device that is not in the list, then you will need to search for it on the Web. Some drivers may
exist for Linux and not be in the default kernel. But if a device is not currently supported by any driver for
Linux, then you will have to wait for someone to make one, or make one yourself.
If you want to write your own driver, the best place to start is at The Kernel Hacker’s Guide, available at
http://khg.redhat.com/HyperNews/get/khg.html