hardware suport question (linux related)

Hi, I recently got a new keyboard and mouse. I have a Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro, and I have a Microsoft wheel mouse optical.

I have not booted to linux since the instalation of my new keyboard and mouse. I have checked the web site for my linux distrobution (Caldera open linux) and I went to the hardware compatibility section but they had nothing listed for pointing devices or keyboards.

My questions are:

if my new mouse and/or keyboard is not suported by linux and I boot to linux, with my curent configuration could it damage my mouse or keyboard. I am not sure but i think a mouse has its own protocol and i prosume it has a frequency of transmition, so if my curent comfiguration was useing the wrong protocol or frequency could it posibly damage my mouse?

And if per chance my new hardware is not suported do you know of any way I can trick linux into suporting it. I know that with win modems there are some drivers made for linux you can download that enable some win modems to work.

If i know the verticle and horizontal syn rate of my monitor, but out of the choices I have available during instalation if they dont have my exact numbers so I use numbers below mine, could useing a slightly less friequency or sync rate damage or cause my monitor not to work?

I don't know the particulars of your hardware, but generally Linux will treat keyboards and mice with features it doesn't recognize as basic keyboards and mice. As far as the optical part, I have no idea how it would treat that. There's very little chance of damaging your hardware, I would think. Worst case scanario is it just doesn't work.

Using lower horizontal and vertical refresh rates than your monitor supports is always safe. In fact, that's what the XFree docs suggest if you aren't sure.

it wont damage you keyboard or mouse nor would your monitor cease to work.... when booting your o/s should run a scan for peripherals such as mouse and keyboard if yours are compatible then you should not have any problems you may even get a configuration page to configure any special features of the peripheral your installing. if not compatible you may get a message sayin mouse device not found or whatever your installing or it may just may not work as was the case i encountered with an incompatible mouse on redhat .either way you'll know its not compatible .