Linux laptop configuration

[Lee Einer]

Hi, all-

I just purchased a Hewlett Packard Pavillion ZE4325US laptop. I have 
loaded Mandrake 8.2, and will be upgrading to 9.1 as soon as my boxed 
set arrives in the mail. The install went well, but I am encountering a 
few minor configuration issues-

First, this laptop keyboard has five cutesy, illuminated programmable 
keys at the top, which are supposed to be shortcuts to internet access, 
e-mail, etc. Is there any way to get them recognized and programmed 
under Linux?

Second, the laptop has a built-in modem which is not detected by 
HardDrak. There is no /dev/modem file. Specs provided with this laptop 
are pathetic, and don't tell me what kind of modem I have, but I am 
thinking at this point it is a winmodem. Assuming it is a winmodem, what 
is involved in getting it configured?

Third is the DVD-ROM drive. It works, now that I have created a symlink 
from /dev/dvd to the appropriate block device, and identified and loaded 
the appropriate Xine audio driver, but I use the term "works" loosely, 
as it won't play encrypted DVDs. What software do you all recommend for 
playing DVDs on laptops?

Last issue- the system hangs for awhile on boot. I think it is waiting 
for an internet or LAN connection through the built-in NIC. I may want 
to share an internet connection by installing a second NIC in my desktop 
and enabling internet sharing. I would like the laptop to not take 
forever to boot, but would like to set it up so I can jack into my 
desktop and browse the internet, etc. How can I set this up so that the 
laptop does not look for an internet or LAN connection on start-up, but 
does look for a connection when I want it to?

Lee Einer