Well, according to Compaq it can! A lady started running Linux on a laptop that she purchased and was told by Compaq tech support that her hardware warranty was void unless she reinstalls the “Other” OS. Hullo? What does this have to do with a broken keyboard?

Laura is not a software engineer, but she failed to see how her choice of operating system could damage the keyboard. Furthermore, there isn’t a word about the subject on the Compaq C304NR Web page — nothing to alert consumers to the fact that if they chose a reliable, secure operating system like Linux instead of Windows, they would lose their rights to service under warranty.

Source: Linux.com