installing to a new HD
 

if you have 3 cds with linux OS (distro) on ready to install but the hard drive on the computer was new with no partitions on would the linux when installed recognise the hd and continue with the installation.

imput is appreciated

have you tried it?
why dont you just give it a shoot and see what happens?

to give you a better feeling about this: you will only be posiviley surprised :-)

not tried it, thats why im asking you members at LQ, i have a few possibilties to go about hooking up a system with linux and if i knew that this method worked then that is great,

some operating systems recognise a new HD without having to use fdisk, dont know if mandriva does though

it should. mandriva as far as i am aware of it has a friendly installer, and should let you partition any harddrive anyhow you want.