Low priority- questions on laptops and linux. (vaio sz38gp + compaq evo n800)

[userx]

Hello, first I apologize, I have tried looking on google and what not for info on this issue but I have to admit I find trolling for useful info a bit rough sometimes, and everyone here is just so helpful and readily accessable. anyway...

a couple questions for those who have the readily accessable knowledge-

1) My new laptop (vaio sz38gp) has a warranty that installing Vista on my computer voids the warranty... or something weird like that, do you think installing linux would do the same.

2) To keep windows on my computer (I'm a complete noob and find it annoying sometimes having to think so hard to do something I know I can do simply in windows (I'm not saying windows is easier or better just I know how to use it already) where was I... oh right, is linux dual boot friendly? as in is installing kubuntu going to remove windows?

3) When I installed ubuntu and kubuntu on my last laptop I noticed all of my function keys and the like stopped working and little things like the closed laptop sensor stopped working... I imagine I have to rely on some clever open source programer to have made a 'package' for me to get those keys working is that correct?

I'm going to leave it at that for now because well I'm taking up way to much time with annoying questions. (annoyingly my university is doing a GNU install day where they will install all the drivers you will "need" but its on a work day! bastards)

(sorry useless information again... I'll get better at posting I promise)

[sky]

Re: Low priority- questions on laptops and linux. (vaio sz38gp + compaq evo n800)

Hi,

I've never heard about such warranty limit, are you really sure about it ? It's not damaging hardware to install some kind of os you'd like even if it's microsoft
Anyway, about dual booting, yes kubuntu (or ubuntu) is able to do this and it does it by default when installing close to a windows install. The first thing you need to do, is to get some place for it, so resize windows partition using whatever windows tool you want or a gparted live cd...

Last, about your keys, yes sometimes laptop are not well recognized with all their functions keys, but it will only hurt linux... You can solve it if you find the good package or the good page from google

Cheers