I have just purchased a Gateway NV5214u laptop, preloaded with Vista for my spouse. I want to install Mandriva 2010.0, either as a sole system or as a dual boot. I am not familiar with Vista and think that I can better help her to learn computing if she is using a Linux machine.

Is this machine fully compatible for a Linux install?

Will Linux be able to support the additional keys on the keyboard, such as the volume controls?

I have made a recovery disk from the hidden partition. In the event that my spouse wishes to revert to Vista, will the recovery disk handle the fact that the disk has been repartitioned?

I have previously repartitioned Windows 2000 machines and installed dual boots but never done so on a preloaded laptop, The Windows 2000 machines always had full OEM Windows 2000 disks.

best advise I can give is to look up your hardware parts and check them against the
HCL

Hardware...

You can use Mandriva or download and burn a copy of the latest Mint or PCLinuxOS, boot it, see how it goes, then open a terminal and use the command "lshw" to see what your Gateway is as hardware. Either one of them as a live-cd should be a good test run for basic functionality with linux.

The usual problems with a laptop are with the wired and wireless internet connection, the touchpad, and sound.

A trial with a suitable live-cd and an idea of which hardware chip is at the root of any problem, in combination with Google, should help smooth your way forward. Good Luck with linux

Thank you to both responders.

I tried Mandriva One and the laptop handled it OK.

The 2010.0 disk would not open automatically into the configureation dialog until I ran XFdrake and set the graphics card driver then ran startx. It then ran tickety-boo including music and wireless lan.

The 2010.1 beta 1 disk opened the configuration dialog and then the desktop but it would not play any music. I think that I am OK to install Mandriva 2010.0 and will wait for 2010.1 until I have at least a well behaved beta or more probably the full release

I am still concerned whether the Vista recovery disk will to;lerate a reformatted drive should my spouse decide that she wants to revert to Vista.

Regards
Clive