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I am planning to buy a new laptop and install Scientific Linux, with the default GNOME desktop environment. If the laptop comes with an OS I will probably remove it for extra disk space.

Are there any hardware incompatibility issues that I should know about when choosing a laptop? For instance, it might be important to know if Scientific Linux expects a certain keyboard, or cannot use a certain graphics card, or cannot use a touch-screen.

Perhaps this is a ridiculous thing to worry about, but when I asked in a local computing shop about installing Scientific Linux (or any Linux distro at all) on one of their computers they said they didn't know.

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The answer to all of your specific device compatibility questions is probably yes, the device is likely to be compatible, but it makes sense to test Scientific Linux by running it from live media before you install it to your hard drive. Scientific Linux 6/7 can be run as live media from a CD (LiveCD iso file), DVD (DVD iso file) or USB flash drive.

If you are not planning on using Windows, you can save money by buying a laptop that does not come with Windows preinstalled. Many computer manufacturers are offering laptops without an operating system preinstalled, so they are easy to find either online or in brick and mortar stores.

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  • When you say "The answer to all of your specific device compatibility questions is probably yes" do you mean 'probably yes' to "if Scientific Linux expects a certain keyboard, or cannot use a certain graphics card, or cannot use a touch-screen"?
    – Jekowl
    Jan 4, 2016 at 12:39
  • You should expect most if not all of your hardware to work out of the box, especially if you have a laptop that did not come with Windows preinstalled. You may have to install a driver for the wireless adapter. The big advantage of testing it from the live USB is that you can even install additional software on a live USB.
    – karel
    Jan 4, 2016 at 12:44
  • Suggested an edit, just because it had me confused, though im sure it makes perfect sense to anyone who actually knows things. (Thanks for the cheeky recommendation :) )
    – Jekowl
    Jan 4, 2016 at 13:00

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