# new to linux



## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

I've used windows a little bit, never was any great shakes on it though and I just installed mandriva on my puter. I'm wondering whether I should try ubuntu? (I have never touched linux before- never even seen a linux machine for that matter!) I barged into mandriva half cocked just to have a look-see and (fools rush in where .....) I did manage to mess up stuff:sigh: My login passy isnt getting accepted, and gawd, the login screen shows me some strange language which I cant get to change. Moreover, I have 1.5 Gb memory but mandriva just recognized something like 886 mb. Have I messed this one up so bad i have to fomat and redo again? I have d/l ubuntu and fox too, and I would like some advice on whether ubuntu would be easier on poor ole me? Oh and I am ready to d/l opensuse or freespire if those'd be more forgiving? Btw could someone kindly try to remember any newbie oriented linux site where I could read up stuff? pretty please?ray: *standing by with a bucket of water to sprinkle on people who end up reading this post- swooning is okies please dont die!:tongue:*


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## Dirty_Al (Jun 5, 2007)

Ubuntu is alot more user friendly.
For a login leave the password box blank.

You would be better off with installing Ubuntu such as you dont have a root account to mess you up and everything. Most used software is already installed so no problems there.


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## fredobrien (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi Corsair. Take look at pclinuxos 2007. Ubuntu is OK. I did not like it. Pclinuxos 2007 is a good first timer. Fred


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

I would suggest that you try different distro's on LIVE CD before you dive in and install .. I tried Knoppix, PCLinux, Mepis6.5, Vector Linux .. & Ubuntu 6.1 & 7.04 .. so far I have found that (in spite of having Knoppix Live CD and using it from version 3.3) I keep coming back to Ubuntu .. I didn't like it at first but slowly found it grew on me .. as I began to understand more and more ..

each distro has it's merits .. programs , methods , ways of working that are different to it's cousins .. each will have an appeal for different reasons to different individuals .. 

I got Beryl working ( to a certain degree) on Ubuntu but am still fighting it on mepis .. It works on mepis but I can't figure out how to get it to start automatically .. I got that fixed in Ubuntu .. 

take the easy road and see what distro you are comfortable with and then try an install on a separate hard disk if possible .. that way if something goes sour you may not lose you Windows partition / drive .. I have mine on separate drives and choose what I want to boot from BIOS or the F8 boot menu at power on . If I need to boot mepis, I swap out the drive ..


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

corsair - the least stressful way to experiment with Linux is to install to an old PC that you don't use for your daily business. That way the pressure's off. You can fool with it, try different LiveCD's, play around with dual-booting, whatever, without that punch-in-the-gut feeling you get when you realize you've borked the main PC and you can't even get online.
Next least stressful would probly be a second HDD. You physically unplug your Windows HDD, plug in the spare HDD, and experiment.

Some links...
http://linuxcommand.org/
http://www.linux.org/lessons/
http://www.reallylinux.com/


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## K-B (Oct 24, 2005)

PCLinuxOS 2007


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## cromdubh (Jun 5, 2005)

I tried that with an old DELL, with a spare HDD.
Mandriva Linux One wouldn't install.
Then went to my up to date HP laptop, same result, just quicker. Black blank screens after two orange flash screens.
Amazed I couldn't get past first base on either machine.
Must be a common denominator, my stupidity?




Bartender said:


> corsair - the least stressful way to experiment with Linux is to install to an old PC that you don't use for your daily business. That way the pressure's off. :4-dontkno


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

cromdubh said:


> I tried that with an old DELL, with a spare HDD.
> Mandriva Linux One wouldn't install.
> Then went to my up to date HP laptop, same result, just quicker. Black blank screens after two orange flash screens.
> Amazed I couldn't get past first base on either machine.
> ...



Sorry guys but that's EXACTLY what I have done .. even in my place of work on an old Celeron 1GHz . where I installed Ubuntu on a second drive dual booting with Win2K .. 
If you black screen its because you haven't got the right driver , you need to tell the bot to start with a different driver .. something like VGA = normal ..

I have tried the Live CD's , quite afew of them, and got black screens . so i asked why, researched it and found anmswers .. the one I am giving you now. Once installed on a hard disk .. you can find teh right VGA driver and install it ..


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

And a desktop is far better for experimenting than a lappy. Not much you can do inside a laptop. A plain Jane PC tower is much easier to putter within, and spare parts easier/cheaper to obtain.

EDIT: crom, ATI and SIS video cards can be problematic. Intel onboard should "just work" as well as most Nvidia products. With Dell now offering Ubuntu pre-installed (and hopefully others to follow) ATI may have to get with the program and offer some decent drivers for their stuff.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi everyone 
Thanks for taking time to reply. I tried vector but umm its too tough for me to install:sigh: Tried Ubuntu, went on to Pclinuxos but it gave me a headache- literally!*bet thats the first time you've heard of that un hah :tongue:* Also I didnt really get on with the lay out for some reason. Tried Xubuntu and dun think thats for me right now either. Oh yes I have fox linux sitting around but I am steering clear of that un seeing as no one even mentioned that.So really, I am back to Ubuntu. I do have a lotta problems with it and I guess I'll start posting 'em separately. But if it aint too much hassle to put one wee question here, could someone tell me what player you use to watch VCD's? Some of mine dont even get recognized:4-dontkno
Thanks again:wave:
And btw I dont have another machine - penniless ole man, me is!:sigh: And I dont want to use windows anyway- I got told that my windows aint original- and it is!*No, really, it was bought from their company store*.


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## fredobrien (Nov 18, 2005)

HI, Corsair if you use any of the linux that we have talked about you will be able to get on the net & do E-Mails in no time. You will find it just takes a little time. You will like what you can do with linux. Best of all it is free! Fred


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Haven't got any VCD's so can't really help you there .. but tell me did yoiu install 6.10 or 7.04? If you installed the latest version .. try installing Automatix or automatix2 .. it will help you with codecs apart from a lot of other software that isn't normally found in the repositories .. but work with Ubuntu .


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## PureEvilDan (May 26, 2005)

IMHO the current version of Ubuntu is abit well beggered. 

Your best bet is to install Mplayer, and follow this helpful link:
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/install-m...ibdvdcss2w32codecs-in-ubuntu-feisty-fawn.html


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

What did you not like about Xubuntu?


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## PureEvilDan (May 26, 2005)

In Gentoo, if I want to install something with extra items, like Mplayer & Mplayer-Plugin, I would set "USE" flags, and it installs fine, with Xubuntu I spent ages, trying to get mplayer-plugin to work with Firefox before feeling defeated and giving up. (The link above, I found the other day, not when I needed it.) Its all personal preference, I won't tell someone not to use Ubuntu, if their new(ish) to linux, but maybe advise them else where.

What is good, is the fact Ubuntu is becoming popular at the moment, with it being recommended as an "alternative" to Windows, but I feel its not for me.

Plus, I managed to get Gentoo working on my Laptop, so I'm happy now


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi 
I did install automatix and well it didnt help either I'm afraid. But then I couldnt d/l the aud/dvd codecs- kept saying it couldnt d/l 
I just installed virtualbox hoping I could get stuff done there , got XP running but it doesnt recognize a lotta setup programs as valid win32 apps
Do go easy on me- I dont have a clue about doing stuff in the command line mode. I did d/l a book on linux but havent got around to reading it yet.
Umm, Dan, I'll check that Mplayer link and get back later.I do hope it wont involve those commands and stuff, sir!
Fishin', sir, I have 7.04 (feisty fawn is 7.04 right?).
(If it wouldnt be considered too childish, may I say that another reason for trying virtualbox is to have a wee bit of space for a game- i dun play much now but once a while I do like to have a go-and linux games dun have cheats:tongue
Uh, Bartender, I am afraid I dont recall exactly why I gave up Xubuntu, sir, but I think having installed it and having had a quick lookie I sorta thought ubuntu "seemed" more friendly.
Ah well, maybe I dont know a durn thing about linux but least it's not crashed on me yet.All the failures were mine.


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## PureEvilDan (May 26, 2005)

Oh I thought Bartender's post was directed at me lol

Since, I gave up Xubuntu not that long ago.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Eek!:doh:
I thought it was me- sawwy to both of you.*getting foot outta mouth:embarased*
Btw I am taking back that thing about only me mucking stuff up so there! I just tried to install a game in wine, it asked me to put in the 2nd cd and it wouldnt lemme eject the first one!says something about an application using it so it cant be ejected!So now I have to make cd images and try? But linux dun have daemon tools does it? I just installed something that said daemon tools in my Ubuntu pack manager and it aint showing up anywheres!Poor me!Btw sir, I tried the link you provided and did as instructed there, but cant play my video cd's.Does it have anything to do with the files being in *.dat format? Mplayer doesnt show those files at all.I cant even copy the files to my machine to rename them and play from hdd either.I am doing something wrong here but what?Any idea*gawd now I am asking you to investigate my areas of imbecility*


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## kbd_usr (Jun 20, 2007)

corsair said:


> I've used windows a little bit, never was any great shakes on it though and I just installed mandriva on my puter. I'm wondering whether I should try ubuntu? (I have never touched linux before- never even seen a linux machine for that matter!) I barged into mandriva half cocked just to have a look-see and (fools rush in where .....) I did manage to mess up stuff:sigh: My login passy isnt getting accepted, and gawd, the login screen shows me some strange language which I cant get to change. Moreover, I have 1.5 Gb memory but mandriva just recognized something like 886 mb. Have I messed this one up so bad i have to fomat and redo again? I have d/l ubuntu and fox too, and I would like some advice on whether ubuntu would be easier on poor ole me? Oh and I am ready to d/l opensuse or freespire if those'd be more forgiving? Btw could someone kindly try to remember any newbie oriented linux site where I could read up stuff? pretty please?ray: *standing by with a bucket of water to sprinkle on people who end up reading this post- swooning is okies please dont die!:tongue:*


Linux is not for the faint of heart. It's extremely complex and shoots way past the winndy world of clickity-clackity. There's no quick jump site. As quite a few run exclusively in terminal mode, with non-graphical web browsers if you can believe it (I like elinks myself).

I run Ubuntu, and only forced myself to re-install 3 times. Which really isn't that bad. Tweaking like I do. It's just a matter of learning what you can get away with.

I would recommend a good pocket Linux guide, as this can get you out of a lot of trouble. The run US$10.

This Aero MS pushes, in Ubuntu I work on a cubical form desktop, with bouncing effects in the current window, and they can stretch, too. It's pretty neat.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Uh, sir, yes I am realizing that linux is really not click-happy kinda OS. But again, I have no option. Perhaps you could suggest a coupla authors who write in a newbie-oriented manner please? Right now, I am really lost. Linux(or is it just ubuntu?) seems to keep software in archives and right now I have one package with error in it and each time I try to install,it keeps saying that acrhived thing has an error.And I am still poking around to find an archive manager -thats how bad I am!
I have never worked with non gui type os'es so really, I dont think I'll be comfy with terminal mode even if I knew how.Yes sir, I know I am very likely annoying a lot of people with dumb questions, and i apologize for that. But I did ask the same kinda questions about windows too:4-dontkno


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

corsair -
I've been dinking around with Linux off and on for about 2 years now. Mostly off. If we had DSL or cable on our rural road I'd be using Linux for most things and Windows for the occasional task. But we're on dial-up and our ISP doesn't cooperate so it's the other way around. I just play with Linux on a test PC.
I guess my point is that it's taken a long time to start feeling like I understand how things work in Linux. Don't be hard on yourself. It takes time to come around to a whole new way of doing things, and I think most of us are reluctant to "start over again" learning another OS.

I first tried Xubuntu a year ago. Missed the convenience of dropping icons onto the desktop. Tried again a few months later. Gave up again. 
Tried again just recently. Finally figured out how to use the Application Launcher (took all of 20 minutes after printing out some instructions) and starting to feel better about Xubuntu now. But it took me over a year to get there!
To give you an idea of Xubuntu's appeal, my old test PC (PIII 450MHz, 650+ RAM) running PCLOS2007 and Amarok can play a music CD but the CPU usage is over 80%. In Xubuntu, using Sound Juicer, CPU usage is under 20%.

EDIT: This is a perfect example of my limited Linux knowledge. You are correct about downloads being kept in archives. "var" something or another. You can ask Linux to dump any one or all of the archives and try downloading again. But I don't remember the commands. A little searching oughta get you going.


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

A quick search - 
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=448245&highlight=clear+archives
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=462913&highlight=clear+archives
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=279349&highlight=clear+archives
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=391390&highlight=clear+archives
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=387855&highlight=clear+archives

I find it helpful to read several responses that are all aimed at the same basic goal. Sometimes I'll read one or two and still feel unsure, but if several people all are saying pretty much the same thing I feel more confident.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Thank you sir, that was very nice of you to say :grin: Thanking you also for those links to the archive clearance problem. I do feel bad about making you go and find out all those links- and it never entered my head to look for the forum- I just looked into the main documentation -sorry. Umm, I've d/l'ded some of the docs from the Ubuntu site which seem to be Debian oriented- but that ought to come in handy with all Linux distros right?


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

corsair said:


> Umm, I've d/l'ded some of the docs from the Ubuntu site which seem to be Debian oriented- but that ought to come in handy with all Linux distros right?


Before making an opinion on how the "look" of a guide seems, make sure to read the site and *try* the commands yourself and see what happens. :sayyes:

This is a good start for you to know *what* Ubuntu is and which component fits where: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(Linux_distribution)

Here is a very good guide/tour: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/7.04Tour

And here is a full guide to most things Ubuntu 7.04: http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Feisty

Yes, Linux style, command line. If you hate the command line, then Linux won't exactly be friendly with you. :grin:

If you took on Linux then you should know that it comes with trial and error, messing around and *a lot* of learning as it's main base. You will also need substantial time, more than a regular using month to get used to it and comfortable.

I agree on Ubuntu being your best first choice, although 7.04 has hidden bits that absolutely smell of Linux geekdom that average users won't get to grips with and like too much. If you ever want to try something other as a beginner, look to Kubuntu, Fedora Core 7 or PCLinusOS 2007. But I would try them as Live CDs before installing for sure, and even installing would be on a separate HDD


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## kbd_usr (Jun 20, 2007)

corsair said:


> Uh, sir, yes I am realizing that linux is really not click-happy kinda OS. But again, I have no option. Perhaps you could suggest a coupla authors who write in a newbie-oriented manner please? Right now, I am really lost. Linux(or is it just ubuntu?) seems to keep software in archives and right now I have one package with error in it and each time I try to install,it keeps saying that acrhived thing has an error.And I am still poking around to find an archive manager -thats how bad I am!
> I have never worked with non gui type os'es so really, I dont think I'll be comfy with terminal mode even if I knew how.Yes sir, I know I am very likely annoying a lot of people with dumb questions, and i apologize for that. But I did ask the same kinda questions about windows too:4-dontkno


"For Dummies" has a series on Linux, and most popular distro's have a companion book available at retail outlets.
As far as your archive giving a download error, whatever you're using to get this error would be your handler. Mis-configured. Type _man_+name of program to get details: ie,

man synaptic 

for me I do this in terminal, a lot. Also, _info_+prog. gives good info. Your help system should contain useful documentation as well.

If your attempting to establish to an archive, you must declare it explicitly; somewhere in your config. file. This is a built in security feature that prevents unwanted items installing.

When an error is generated again, note the name of the program involved, and follow my input.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hello
Kalim,sir, thank you for those links you provided.And :sigh: you are right, I do tend to form opinions too quick.Oh I wouldnt mind using command lines to get the job done but well if there is s clickety click option to do things, I'd like that- think windows lead me astray :tongue: I guess I'll try Kubuntu soon then.

Kbd,sir, I d/lded a "Complete Idiot's guide to linux" by Manuel Ricart. Now I have to get it printed out*me= have no printer- never needed it before*I'll keep an eye out for the dummy serie book though.Thank you for that tip with the program giving errors.I'd already cleared my archive so next time I get an error I'll try this one out.

Btw its impossible to recover deleted files from ext3 partitions eh?


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## kbd_usr (Jun 20, 2007)

Quite difficult, unless you haven;t emptied your trash folder. Try looking for a waste can icon, or under a Trash... folder option. Then you can restore.

Most Linux file systems are organized not by size, but by disk usage. Which means that they aren't written in a certain space. It could be all over if it is symbolically linked elsewhere. This is for performance.


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

corsair - 
Do you have broadband, and is your Ubuntu PC able to get there?


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi
Kbd,well sir, I deleted straight off from my disk with shift+del*gulp*.There goes my file then. Does this mean that in Linux, you dont need file shredders?

Bartender, well, I have cable, sir, and well, I get on here from my only pc which is now running Ubuntu. Possibly my ISP does things differently sir? 

E: /var/cache/apt/archives/vmware-server_1.0.3-1_i386.deb: subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1 <<< that means something is wrong with the archived file I assume? I tried clearing archive files with sudo apt-get clean but apparently it aint working.with the man synaptic , it gives me name/authors etc and three options, and setting internal options is rated as for experts only.I aint touching that, I am sure to muck up things! I dont even know about file filter and initial filter options:4-dontkno
(I was trying vmware just in case it let me load windows and allowed me to load Transport Giant).


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## kbd_usr (Jun 20, 2007)

corsair said:


> Hi
> Kbd,well sir, I deleted straight off from my disk with shift+del*gulp*.There goes my file then. Does this mean that in Linux, you dont need file shredders?


I said not easy, if you wanted to roam your disk with a sector editor, and piece together the info you could do that.

If you don't want anyone else to, use a shredder.


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

I doubt you can restore your deleted data in Ubuntu - not most of it anyway.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hello everyone
Oh well I suppose I'll just download my data again. Perhaps I should reformat and make a Windows dual boot just so I can use Win progs if i need 'em.
Seems if I want to run both Windows and Ubuntu I should FDISK and install XP first? And after I get that running I have to partition the remaining space using Ubuntu partitioner and set Ubuntu up right?Is there anything I should keep an eye out for?Please do advise. Wouldnt work if I just partitioned off a FAT/NTFS partition using Ubuntu would it?And then install Windows and perhaps re-install Ubuntu?*Gawd I am sounding so bewildered*


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

I would echo the advise of others before me here: for a new user, don't go into dual booting, but try playing about with a Live CD or VMWare install for a while before moving on. :smile:


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

If you really want to dual boot ..

get a second disk, minimum 10 GB's if you are going to install Linux on it ..

Once you have XP installed & working properly on your first (Master) disk

Boot into your CD and install Linux on the second (Slave) disk

This will place the grub loader on your XP drive which when booting will default to booting your Linux partition or give you the option of booting into Windows.
At any time you decide to do something else with Linux (like remove it) your XP drive will still be available for use ..


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## kbd_usr (Jun 20, 2007)

I concur with Done_Fishin if you want HD dual boot.
Disks can be had fairly inexpensively at Walmart and other retail outlets, or you can order one, local shops have them. And you can even use one out of an older system.

This will allow you to select which OS you want by selecting it in the BIOS. Just pick which one you want. And, you want have the nightmare of total re-install while playing with Linux.

80GB disks can be had for $30 if you look around, maybe cheaper. You might even want to invest in a spare external from Maxtor or Seagate as these companies have adequate software for easy backup. In case you get caught in another tangle. By easy, I mean you just push a button, and everything is offloaded onto the external HD.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

depending upon the age of your PC ..

The latest BIOS include a boot menu that allow you to pres a key at power-on and select your boot source .. (as far as I know normally F8 key)

Prior to that it required entering BIOS and changing the boot order in the hard disk boot menu ..

the older the system the more limited the boot options .. 
My current system won't allow me to use the F8 option .. so I have to manually change the BOOT SEQUENCE in BIOS every time I change from Windows to Ubuntu
My PC at work .. is an old IBM 300GL with a 1GHz Celeron that I rescued from the storeroom, as faulty and repaired it. I installed Windows NT SP4 on one 40GB drive and Ubuntu on a second 40GB drive. After installing Ubuntu , the grub had recognised the NT install & installed a boot manager giving me a choice of OS's to boot .. especially handy since that PC is so old that it has no way to select individual drives as boot drive, let alone hit F8 for a boot menu


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi everyone
Ty for the advice  I did manage to get a dualboot done but I'll have to come back to linux soon hehe.Sorry for being late with my reply I was trying to get Kubuntu downloaded but my net was (and is) playing up something awful.Anyway i have Kubuntu on now and well I installed a firewall.Thing is,it wont run in my user account.It runs fine on my root account but not in user account.Still trying to work that one out so umm any pointers would be gladly snatched up.Or maybe I should just use my root account until I read up on linux a bit huh?Not having any valuable data on, it shouldnt hurt right? I dont want to end up being a pest on here really.Btw does Kubuntu take a bit longer than other linux distros to load up? or is it just that I installed it wrong? And also, it recognized my IDE drive as SCSI?And cd-writing is at 4x .Does this 4x come up coz my writer is a DVD writer?


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

The Ubuntu model for root/user is a bit different than the others. Do you have to type in "sudo" to get anything done? That's the way it's supposed to be. Did you intentionally build a user account that's not working? I'm just trying to ascertain if something's actually wrong or if it's just unfamiliarity.
If you have an IDE HDD it should be recognized as "hda" or "hdb". Why do you think it's being recognized as SCSI?
Kubuntu is a full-featured desktop. It might come up slower than others you've tried. Once it's up, does it feel more sluggish everywhere?
Don't have any thoughts on the 4X CD writing. I'm unfamiliar with the Linux burn programs.


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

corsair said:


> Anyway i have Kubuntu on now and well I installed a firewall.Thing is,it wont run in my user account.It runs fine on my root account but not in user account.Still trying to work that one out so umm any pointers would be gladly snatched up.


Which firewall did you install?
You don't really need a firewall in Linux.


> Btw does Kubuntu take a bit longer than other linux distros to load up?


It takes longer than Ubuntu to load on my systems, yes.


> And also, it recognized my IDE drive as SCSI?


Like Bartender asked, how do you know this?


> And cd-writing is at 4x .Does this 4x come up coz my writer is a DVD writer?


It may not fully support your DVDR, but which application are you using for checking this?


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

eeek! Bartender,sir,it is my unfamiliarity(idiocy I mean) that's bringing about these problems.I dont use the command line sir,I still go by the clicky method.I really didnt intend to make a user account thats not working.The thing is , sir, when i used Ubuntu first I kept thinking my account was a user account as there was a "root" present already.This time, I created another account, didnt specify anything in particular.So now when I try to start my firewall it asks for the passy and whether I put in the passy of the user or main account, it doesnt work.If I log into my main account, well there I can just supply the passy of that account and get the firewall started.
About the SCSI bit sir, when I partitioned my HDD it showed the drives as SCSI0 and SCSI1 (or something like- that I am afraid I didnt write it down and I should have )
And no, once the OS is loaded Kubuntu doesnt slow up.Just the start up is a mite sluggish.
Kalim,my firewall, sir,is firestarter.Um sir do you mean folks wont end up doing something nasty on my puter as it runs Linux?Inbuilt firewalls?
The SCSI thingy is something I saw in the partition manager sir.
The 4x stuff- I tried to write a cd sir,in 24x mode using K3B and it reverted to 4x-anyway it said the current writing speed was 4x.My writer is an Asus drive, and in windows it does write at more'n 4x.But on the other hand unlike windows I havent got any coasters handed over to me yet so thats good.
Sorry still trying to get the book printed out- I dont have a printer and printing from the shops around costs too much for me to bear.trying to find place with cheaper rates and hopefully...


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

Hi, corsair -
I'm just an average guy. No need to address me as "sir" :wink:

You've got a dual-boot set-up? If you're not uncomfortable with re-installing, I'd consider doing so. When I'm installing Ubuntu and get to username/password, I type in a very simple username, such as "bill", and a very simple password, like "frog". OMG, I just gave away my secret password!!

Unless you have a specific reason to set up user accounts (I don't) don't complicate things any further than that. When I want to do something that requires a password, type "frog" into the password box and you'll be fine. Without the quotes.

Here's a good practice session for you in the terminal. Open a terminal (Applications>Accessories>Terminal). When you get the line of text and the blinking cursor, type "top". Without the quote marks of course. Now click "Enter" key. top gives you a list of running processes. This is a fun command to get familiar with.

Now close the terminal. Open it again. Now type "sudo top" at the blinking cursor. No quotes! You're going to get the "Enter password" box. Enter your password. You'll end up with the exact same "top" utility as before. The only difference between the first top and the second is that you typed in "sudo", activating Ubuntu's security model.

The terminal isn't really a lot of fun, and I find it too easy to type in the wrong thing, but I do feel like people should make an effort to build a little bit of confidence with it because sooner or later someone's gonna give you directions for fixing something that requires some terminal work.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Bartender, my dear sir, people who help me are never "average".Just the fact that they are helping shows that they have an above average level of patience. Wheee thanks for the terminal commands you gave  
I just got one book printed-the Progeny linux user guide reformatted for the standard debian system- does that sound ok for a newbie to start with?*I hope so*.I suppose I should now rightly sit and read it a bit- it does seem to give instructions from base-up*including what is meant by "clicking" on a file so hopefully I'll be able to understand.
Ummm "bill"?"frog"? Does that mean you dont really like a certain OS?:tongue:
About reformatting, sir,you mean i should just throw away windows and just keep my Linux, right? I'll make certain I dont make any more accounts than I have to,for sure!I wonder whether I would be allowed to post questions about stuff I come up with in the book?


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## PureEvilDan (May 26, 2005)

corsair said:


> About reformatting, sir,you mean i should just throw away windows and just keep my Linux, right? I'll make certain I dont make any more accounts than I have to,for sure!I wonder whether I would be allowed to post questions about stuff I come up with in the book?


I'm pretty sure Bartender meant reformatting your *buntu, and keeping Windows where it is.

Having a look back over recent comments, I'm not surprised that the firewall would not load up as your normal user account, and that isn't something to worry about, chances are it requires access to ports below 1024, which only root has powers to.
You should be able to right click the firewall link in the "start" menu and edit it, to include the command sudo, at the start.


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

PureEvilDan said:


> I'm pretty sure Bartender meant reformatting your *buntu, and keeping Windows where it is.


Yeah, for sure. I'm sure you can go in and edit user/password/accounts, etc. but I'm not familiar with the process and pretty sure it involves terminal work. For the absolute newb, it's probly easier (and good practice besides) to just reinstall Linux. The reason I asked about dual-boot is I didn't want to risk frying Windows partition.

I googled "ubuntu edit username password" and this was the first hit
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/8879

If you feel fortunate to have gotten Ubuntu installed without screwing anything up it might be better to try editing your username/passwords.

Debian terminal commands might be confusing because they are not going to use the Ubuntu security model with the "sudo" thing.

Typically, to edit a file in Ubuntu you go "sudo gedit etc. etc. etc..."
"sudo" tells the OS that you want to go somewhere as the super user, and "gedit" tells the OS to open one of the common text editors. If you hang around the forums, you'll start to see patterns in these commands. Once you see patterns, they don't seem so frightening.

There are several different editors, and people that really get into this will argue vigorously over which is best. I don't know enuf to argue which is best so just use "gedit".


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

PureEVilDan,sir,I reformatted and reinstalled my Linux so now I only have one account-the default one so the Firestarter fires up okies now.
Bartender,well sir,now I dont have windows no more.I tried out the terminal commands *with eyes screwed shut scared*.Worked out okies though.I have only one terminal program by default-Konsole.Ack I should have got an ubuntu based book instead of Debiant shouldn't I?
I have a few ,umm cosmetic questions I suppose,if I may.In windows when you opened up IE , you could sorta resize the non-maximized window to the desktop's size and well, for me, after a coupla times it stayed at that size.In Konqueror, I cant seem to do that nor can I make it open up maximized by default.Also,there must be a way to change the default programs used right?Where should I look for that option?In the system settings there is a "default applications" icon which only has four things listed in it- e-mail client,embedded text editor,Instant messenger,terminal emulator and Web browser.The programs themselves dont seem to have an option to set file preferences, and Konqueror has a file association tab but fiddling with that isnt making any difference.Also Konqueror keeps asking me whether I want to save my passies for sites and I could only find the option to uncheck the "enable completion of forms but no real option to stop this password memorizer thing.And I still cant play mpg/dat/wmv files on any player yet Oh one thing more, could someone please tell me the hot key for force quitting an application?


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Sorry I couldnt edit the previous post but I got Xine and that plays dat/mpg but now I cant get the vcd's to mount.brrrrrrrrrr!


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

corsair-
What did you install? I thought you installed Ubuntu, which uses the GNOME desktop GUI, but when you say Konsole and Konqueror that's the KDE desktop. Which means you installed Kubuntu or MEPIS or PCLOS2007 or....

Don't worry about only having Konsole. That's the way it's supposed to be; it's your entry to terminal. Once you open terminal you can use several different text editors. In KDE the most commonly used (I think) is "kedit" instead of "gedit". 

So, in GNOME you'd open "Console" or "Terminal" (I don't remember the exact term) and in KDE you'd open Konsole. For all intents and purposes once you've opened Konsole or Terminal it's all the same. Whatever it's called, it's your gateway to the command line interface, or CLI.


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## PureEvilDan (May 26, 2005)

To get VCD's to mount do: 
Sorry, Corsair this command line based...

```
sudo mount -o loop /path/to/vcd.iso /mnt/cdrom
```
If you already have a cdrom loaded (/ in the cd drive), then you need to do sudo mkdir /mnt/iso and change /mnt/cdrom to /mnt/iso I know that sounds confusing 


Bartender: I feel corsair may have installed Kubuntu as from personal experiance getting a ubuntu based system to play media from a website has been a tough challenge, and one even I have not yet managed to complete.


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

Hey, guys -
If you have access to a DVD burner, you might want to try downloading/installing the KDE full version of Mint Linux. It's supposed to come with pretty much all the multimedia stuff already installed.

The download comes nowheres near to filling a DVD, but it's a little too big for a 700 MB CD.

Here's the U.S. download site - "KDE full" is the one you want.
http://homingpenguin.com/

If you're outside the States - 
http://linuxmint.com/download.html

You want the "Bianca" distro, KDE, 808MB download.


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

Corsair: As the guys before me have mentioned, you've got Kubuntu installed rather than Ubuntu. Ubuntu GNOME has Terminal but no Konsole or Konqueror.

If you have Kubuntu ("KDE" GUI), just press *Ctrl+Esc* and you should get something similar to Task Manager of XP appear, where you can kill an application.

If you have Ubuntu ("GNOME" GUI - "Metacity" as default Windows Manager), run this script and then type:

sh task_manager_shortcut.sh

After that, hitting *Ctrl+Alt+Del* will bring up the Task Manager like utility of Ubuntu (GNOME System Monitor).

BTW, I'm sure someone has mentioned it, but we're all just average humans. You make me feel bad by saying "sir". :sad:

Thanks Bartender - I'll check that package out.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Oh no! I actually make you feel bad when I say "sir"? I honestly didnt mean to, I wasnt trying to sound nasty- honest! It comes from reading a few old time stories where people call everyone "sir" yanno. "Sir, I will answer your charge in the duel tomorrow " kinda stuff I mean. Sigh! I even end up calling girls way younger than me "ma'am". It sounds nutty, but honestly I do. But yes, if you do really feel bad about this "sir" thingy ,I'll drop it. I just hope I dont end up sounding rude..*Takes a deep breath*
Well, Bartender, I ended up installing Kubuntu, sorry, I thought I had posted about that- do forgive me, I forget things way too much.I'll d/l Mint Linux though - but that would require another set of commands wouldnt it?
PureEvilDan, I'll try that command line stuff,but it looks scary!
Kalim, (see? no "sir"! :tongue,thanks for the ctrl+esc hint.I tried trying to run a game in Wine and the game froze and I had to log off to get rid of it.

I've just tried installing clonecd in wine and it keeps telling me windows has to be rebooted.Well I just closed Wine and restarted but keeps giving me the same message. Is there some other way to restart Wine Windows?And umm Linux pdf viewers show up pages rather slow?Mine takes a bit of time- if I scroll down to page 30 from page 1, all I get is a blank page which slowly loads up.


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

Hi, corsair, you probly did say something about Kubuntu, but I lose track all the time in these multi-page threads. No biggie. Mint Linux full is also KDE-based, so the commands will be similar to Kubuntu. You'll just have to get used to the more typical model of Linux security, which I'm not all that conversant in since I've spent most of my time with Ubuntu/Kubuntu. I think for most tasks you just leave off the "sudo" part, then when you need to function as super user you add "su"? Is that it? Someone else will know, this is incredibly basic stuff...

For killing stuck programs -
Open a terminal, type

```
xkill
```
The cursor turns to a little "X" and supposedly you click on the offending program. That's right out of my notes, which I made when I came across a thread discussing that situation.

If the PC is hung really bad, try this
Alt+Printscreen key+S (syncs the drives)
Alt+Printscreen key+U (unmounts the drives)
Alt+Printscreen key+B (reboots the system)
That's also right out of my notes, have never tried it.

Unless you have a very fast internet connection, it's typical for multi-page .pdf's to take a bit of time. When you say "slow", do you mean drastically slower than a multi-page .pdf download in Windows?


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## PureEvilDan (May 26, 2005)

corsair said:


> PureEvilDan, I'll try that command line stuff,but it looks scary!


Command line isn't really that hard to, it looks scary because everything is pretty much typing it out your self, instead of the "normal" point and click methods.



corsair said:


> I've just tried installing clonecd in wine and it keeps telling me windows has to be rebooted.Well I just closed Wine and restarted but keeps giving me the same message. Is there some other way to restart Wine Windows?And umm Linux pdf viewers show up pages rather slow?Mine takes a bit of time- if I scroll down to page 30 from page 1, all I get is a blank page which slowly loads up.


Linux PDF viewers: Are slower, I'm not sure as to the why, but I've noticed that a few times

CloneCD: Does *not* work under wine. You maybe able to use k3b to clone CD's and there is ccd2iso converter (not 100% reliable) to convert ccd files to iso images, if needed. I believe there was another "hack" where you could rename the .ccd to .cue and the .img to .bin and they would burn okay.

Edit:
@Bartender:

```
su -c 'command'
```
 will run said command as root, while only temporary giving root privilages, if you needed to do something major in root, you would need to do

```
su -
```


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi
Bartender, thanks for the proggie killers
PureEvilDan, frankly i couldnt make out how to deploy that code you told me*ack!*.I need to learn more before I step in that direction I think.
I installed LinuxMint - I couldnt get a guide for it though.VCD's play in it right off though.If it is derived from Ubuntu why is the partitioning system different?I must have done something nutty there coz I had installed Windows to get clonecd to run but unlike my previous Kubuntu installation Mint doesnt show the two Windows partitions. I should have done something in the partition window right?Was I meant to give it a mount point thingy?Another thing is, I dont have buttons on my taskbar to change from desktop 1 to desktop 2.I didnt notice any setting in the "configure desktop" window about putting those buttons up either


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

I'd guess that you probly let Mint overwrite the entire drive. Whatever you did to install a Windows partition after installing Kubuntu, just do the same thing and pick up where you left off experimenting with Wine.
Use the partitioned in a Linux LiveCd or (my preference) use GPLCD.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

But my Windows still works, Bartender.So that partition must be pretty safe right?And unlike Kubuntu the iste doesnt feature an user's guide?Coz it's mighty similar to Kubuntu?When fetching updates I got told there is a newer version of Ubuntu out(mhm was that Ubuntu or Kubuntu -me forgot).So maybe the buttons for desktop are only on the Ubuntu/Kubuntu new versions?


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

eeek! *iste=site.sorry. Maybe I should just go back to Kubuntu.Frankly I was more comfy with that than Mint.Maybe coz Mint is new to me.And I actually didnt install Windows after installing Kubuntu- I just erased the whole disk and installed Windows first hehe.


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

There certainly is a lot more online documentation regarding Ub/Kubuntu than Mint. If your Windows partition is still there I don't know why Mint didn't pick it up. Hard to say what you should do next.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi
Well,Bartender, I just re-installed Kubuntu.I guess I'll give up VCD's-rather have Kubuntu and learn from it a bit if I can manage it.KDE does have its problems it seems?


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

Ubuntu would've played VCDs, like this. :wink:

I've not tried VCDs or DVDs under Kubuntu.


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## PureEvilDan (May 26, 2005)

Kubuntu & Ubuntu are the same "system" Kalim, just different GUI's


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

Thanks Dan. I'm aware, but I've not tried it under Kubuntu to say so. I have tried under Ubuntu though. :wink:


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi 
Well, Kalim, my VCD's arent being mounted at all. They just sit in the drive like coasters.I'll try out the link you gave.
Ummm, when I try to run adept manager it asks me for the password to run as root right? That password is not given much importance? I tried to run adept-manager, wanting to install Gimp and I accidently typed in "gimp" instead of my password and it accepted it and adept-manager started running. It shouldnt accept anything other than the real password right?

Kalim, I tried that link, d/lded the file,extracted it, ran the terminal, changed into that folder and on running the make command this is what I get:
cc -I/usr/src/linux/include -O -Wall -c audio.c
In file included from audio.c:26:
cdfs.h:20:25: error: linux/types.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:21:25: error: linux/errno.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:22:26: error: linux/malloc.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:23:22: error: linux/fs.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:24:25: error: linux/locks.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:25:24: error: linux/init.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:26:25: error: linux/cdrom.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:27:26: error: linux/iso_fs.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:28:24: error: linux/time.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:29:27: error: linux/proc_fs.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:30:26: error: linux/string.h: No such file or directory
cdfs.h:31:25: error: asm/uaccess.h: No such file or directory
In file included from audio.c:26:
cdfs.h:89: error: expected specifier-qualifier-list before ‘time_t’
cdfs.h:97: error: expected specifier-qualifier-list before ‘mode_t’
cdfs.h:114: error: expected declaration specifiers or ‘...’ before ‘off_t’
cdfs.h:126: error: expected ‘=’, ‘,’, ‘;’, ‘asm’ or ‘__attribute__’ before ‘cdfs_constructtime’
cdfs.h:129: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:129: warning: its scope is only this definition or declaration, which is probably not what you want
cdfs.h:130: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:131: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:132: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:133: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:135: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:137: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:139: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:140: error: expected declaration specifiers or ‘...’ before ‘size_t’
cdfs.h:140: warning: ‘struct inode’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:142: warning: ‘struct page’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:142: warning: ‘struct file’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:143: warning: ‘struct page’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:143: warning: ‘struct file’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:144: warning: ‘struct page’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:144: warning: ‘struct file’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:145: warning: ‘struct page’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:145: warning: ‘struct file’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:147: warning: ‘struct page’ declared inside parameter list
cdfs.h:147: warning: ‘struct dentry’ declared inside parameter list
audio.c:27:27: error: asm/byteorder.h: No such file or directory
audio.c: In function ‘cdfs_make_header’:
audio.c:35: warning: implicit declaration of function ‘strcpy’
audio.c:35: warning: incompatible implicit declaration of built-in function ‘strcpy’
audio.c:36: warning: implicit declaration of function ‘cpu_to_le32’
audio.c:45: warning: implicit declaration of function ‘cpu_to_le16’
audio.c: At top level:
audio.c:61: warning: ‘struct super_block’ declared inside parameter list
audio.c: In function ‘cdfs_copy_from_cd’:
audio.c:64: error: storage size of ‘cdda’ isn’t known
audio.c:65: error: ‘CD_FRAMESIZE_RAW’ undeclared (first use in this function)
audio.c:65: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
audio.c:65: error: for each function it appears in.)
audio.c:66: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
audio.c:67: error: ‘cd’ has no member named ‘track’
audio.c:76: error: ‘cd’ has no member named ‘cache’
audio.c:95: error: ‘CDROM_LBA’ undeclared (first use in this function)
audio.c:103: error: ‘cd’ has no member named ‘cache_sector’
audio.c:105: error: ‘cd’ has no member named ‘cache_sector’
audio.c:106: error: ‘CDROMREADAUDIO’ undeclared (first use in this function)
audio.c:106: warning: passing argument 1 of ‘cdfs_ioctl’ from incompatible pointer type
audio.c:108: warning: implicit declaration of function ‘printk’
audio.c:130: warning: implicit declaration of function ‘memcpy’
audio.c:130: warning: incompatible implicit declaration of built-in function ‘memcpy’
audio.c:64: warning: unused variable ‘cdda’
audio.c: At top level:
audio.c:138: error: expected declaration specifiers or ‘...’ before ‘size_t’
audio.c:138: warning: ‘struct inode’ declared inside parameter list
audio.c:138: error: conflicting types for ‘cdfs_cdda_file_read’
cdfs.h:140: error: previous declaration of ‘cdfs_cdda_file_read’ was here
audio.c: In function ‘cdfs_cdda_file_read’:
audio.c:139: error: ‘count’ undeclared (first use in this function)
audio.c:145: error: too many arguments to function ‘cdfs_cdda_file_read’
audio.c:146: error: too many arguments to function ‘cdfs_cdda_file_read’
audio.c:149: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
audio.c:150: warning: incompatible implicit declaration of built-in function ‘memcpy’
audio.c:155: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
audio.c:155: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
audio.c: At top level:
audio.c:161: error: variable ‘cdfs_cdda_file_operations’ has initializer but incomplete type
audio.c:162: error: unknown field ‘read’ specified in initializer
audio.c:162: error: ‘generic_file_read’ undeclared here (not in a function)
audio.c:162: warning: excess elements in struct initializer
audio.c:162: warning: (near initialization for ‘cdfs_cdda_file_operations’)
audio.c:163: error: unknown field ‘mmap’ specified in initializer
audio.c:163: error: ‘generic_file_mmap’ undeclared here (not in a function)
audio.c:164: warning: excess elements in struct initializer
audio.c:164: warning: (near initialization for ‘cdfs_cdda_file_operations’)
audio.c:166: warning: ‘struct page’ declared inside parameter list
audio.c:166: warning: ‘struct file’ declared inside parameter list
audio.c:166: error: conflicting types for ‘kcdfsd_add_cdda_request’
cdfs.h:144: error: previous declaration of ‘kcdfsd_add_cdda_request’ was here
audio.c: In function ‘kcdfsd_add_cdda_request’:
audio.c:168: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
audio.c:168: warning: passing argument 2 of ‘kcdfsd_add_request’ from incompatible pointer type
audio.c: At top level:
audio.c:171: error: variable ‘cdfs_cdda_aops’ has initializer but incomplete type
audio.c:172: error: unknown field ‘readpage’ specified in initializer
audio.c:173: warning: excess elements in struct initializer
audio.c:173: warning: (near initialization for ‘cdfs_cdda_aops’)
make: *** [audio.o] Error 1
===============
What could be wrong?I need to install some other stuff first?

Btw I did get to access the cd by using iso9660 (It doesnt show the cd icon on desktop though- issat normal?)


----------



## hal8000 (Dec 23, 2006)

corsair said:


> Btw could someone kindly try to remember any newbie oriented linux site where I could read up stuff? pretty please?ray: *standing by with a bucket of water to sprinkle on people who end up reading this post- swooning is okies please dont die!:tongue:*



I've been trying to find some newbie linux sites, but found these:
http://www.justlinux.com/

http://www.linuxhelp.net/newbies/

http://www.linux.com/articles/113155

However this is probably better advice:- your library. Have a look for
"linux - in easy steps" now in full colour and covers Suse 10

Very easy reading, but there is another "full colour" series, cant remember its name but it deals with red hat.

Have a look also for magazines, in the uk theres at leat 3 doing the rounds:-
Linux Format
Linux Magazine
Linux User and Developer.

Hope that helps.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi
Oooooh thank you very much for those links.I feel awful though for ending up making you search so much.I am sorry, I really am.For some nutty reason I'd thought people here might just off-hand remember the best newbie guides out there.*I'm like that- I think somewhat crazy* Tyvm again


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## Kalim (Nov 24, 2006)

Corsair my friend: I'm no where near any Linux OS right now, in fact I'm in Vista right now and with 3 other systems running BeOS Dano, Digital Unix and Quantian, so I can't access or even recall Ubuntu and it's variant commands with accuracy. I'll have to try and grab a Linux drive to remember bits again, since I work off many OSes a day and it becomes confusing.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Good gawd Kalim, so many OS'es?*faints* Brrrr some of them I am hearing for the first time *sigh*. Dont worry though , it's just a VCD thingy.Please dont trouble yourself  It's not worth taking all that much pain for.
And I suppose my thread is getting too long- I dunno if that is allowed. Maybe I should start another thread with my next problem aye?Thanks to everyone for helping me out so extensively


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Corsair .. hopefully we keep going until it works .. or someone gives up


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi
Happy to know there are no length limits for posts, Done_Fishin.I was getting worried about that.
Is there a way to remove all the search history from the "find files and folders" utility?As it is, all my previous searches can be seen there.Also, has anyone used Licq ?Does it work well? And when I remove a program, how do I make sure all the files of that program is gone?I mean, in Windows I could just look to see where I installed it to check if the folder of the prog was there and then delete it?And Windows usually did leave files behind in its folder


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Sorry Corsair .. I assumed that your next problem was a continuation of the existing thread .. when you want to change subject it is far better to open a new thread (in the appropriate forum) so that members get to see that a new subject is under discussion .. if you're not sure where to open it .. open it as best as possible where you think it might go .. we'll put it in the correct place if it's wrong .. likewise please DO NOT open the same question (or even similar questions) in two different places .. once is enough and we'll take it from there 
I look forward to seeing your question raised in another thread .. I won't answer here because others might want to see the answer and won't see it because it's camouflaged under a different topic ..

it would also be nice to know if this topic is considered closed by you . or you still need more advice .. it will remain open until you say it's resolved and even then it can be re-opened in the event that you have further queries that didn't surface immediately .. :wave:


----------



## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Right sir, I'll close up this thread.I still have the VCD problem too, but I'll post 'em in another thread.Thank you for your help I ended up mixing up a lot of topics in this thread which muddles up everyone I guess. Sorry about that.I'll pester everyone in a new thread now :tongue:


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

:grin: did you say "*sir*" :nono:

another friendly warning my friend .. friends don't keep calling each other *sir * next stop it's ....
:4-hanged:

:grin:

try *D-F or DF* instead for me and use peoples names where possible .. :wave:


----------



## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Yes s.... um DF. Sawwy .:tongue: Btw somehow my VCD's started working hehe. 
Kalim, tyvm - now you can breathe a sigh of relief and go back to your host of OS'es:tongue:


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

glad we got that sorted .. wouldn't like to get tough with you :4-zap:

also glad we sorted the vcd thing .. but something tells me you're not really sure what made it work .. so lets get on to the next task .. see you in your pending thread ..:wave:


----------



## removed82807c (Jan 30, 2007)

i find ubuntu really is click-happy. when you look for howto's or other documentation, it's actually difficult to get everything explained in a detailed way with shell commands.
I have a ubuntu laptop with basically all average used software on it. Browser, email client, Office Suit, CD Burning software, games, graphical software, web server, mysql server, etc etc.
The only thing I used the command line for was to configure my apache web server. If that's too much, you can install webmin or other tools to just click-n-configure. In Windows, at some point a user can also be asked to modify an ini file or something. What's the difference?

What more does a windows user expect from a linux distro? Even in Windows you can't install or remove programs this easily.
Some packages require extra sources, I agree, but if you look for those packages, you are usually given instructions to get it to work as well


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

DF,  what did I dooo? I am one of those sweet lil (old)guys !:1angel:

yakkeh, I used Ubuntu for only a coupla days, and I dont know anything about Linux- or Windows for that matter.Ummm, have you installed any nice Windows-games on your Ubuntu?For someone who is good with puters and programming and all that, I suppose it would be easy to do anything in any OS, but me-I still get stuck in Windows and ofcourse a lot more in Linux.I dont know it must be just that I was used to Windows? I tried to d/l the linux version of Yahoo and install it but I ran into problems.I havent yet found how to defrag or hide folders in Linux,maybe it doesnt need to be defragged- I just dont know.I aint saying Linux isnt good enough for me, just that I am not yet good enough for Linux and its ways.Somehow it is different- for me that is.Not that all the differences are bad either.Frankly I am not puter minded enough to like or dislike either Windows or LInux on their technical merits or whatever the right term is, Windows was just something I used to do things I liked to do, same with Linux-I dont know the insides of either,all I know is Linux doesnt crash every so often like my Windows used to,and I dont have to worry about how many times I can load Linux on my machine or something like that.If I ever said something that sounded like I was bad mouthing Linux, well, I am sorry,I never meant to. I just dont know enough to get things done is all.


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## removed82807c (Jan 30, 2007)

Hi corsair, nothing wrong with a sweet lil old guy trying linux ;-)
Defragging in Linux? Nope, no need for that. You've got a swap drive for temporary files which takes care of most of it and the OS just puts the files on disk on the right spot. I dunno, maybe there are still defrag programs for linux, but if you let the installer define your partitions, you probably never need it.

It took me quite a while to make the switch from Windows to Linux as well, especially because of gaming. Now i'm doing everything on Linux that is not gaming, and I have a dual-boot for the games I play.
I have installed wine and I was able to run Counter-Strike in it, very decent even, but I do advise hard core gamers to just leave that and have a dual-boot for gaming. Gaming is not hacking... you need to use the tools how they were intended to be used.
There are a couple games written for linux as well, like America's Army and Quake and stuff, you can install and run those without a problem, but the general Windows games, please use windows if you don't want to be disappointed. The moment you need a layer between the OS and the game, it will slow things down a little bit and you'll lose a couple features as well.

Look at it this way. Important stuff, documents, pictures, videos, email, ... you will want to have that on a reliable computer with a reliable OS. And if you get that without even having to pay for it, what's wrong with that choice?
If you want entertainment... you can remove and reinstall that whenever you want, it's not that important. If your OS starts crashing or gets infected with spyware and virusses and all of that trouble... just format and reinstall.
Your important stuff is still in linux, untouched and safe.


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## Done_Fishin (Oct 10, 2006)

Hi Corsair 
I'm still making the switch .. not sure how old you are but I'm in my mid 50's .. so age has nothing to do with it .. it's time that is required to get used to new ideas and ways of thinking .. Linux isn't easy .. well thats not true .. it is easy once it's all set up .. then everything just seems to keep going .. Dual boot is great way to allow one to keep working with both systems .. I keep coming back to windows because It's what I am used to when i need to do something fast ... we might be old & sweet .. but we ain't retarded .. we just need patience and practice .. it'll fall into place slowly

and there's always TSF to get info, updates & help along the way ..


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

Hi
Well Yakkeh, I cant use dual boot yet- I've exhausted the number of times I can re-activate XP and the auto phone re-activation keeps saying my ID isnt valid. Now I have to call a tech support person in another state just to see what can be done about it and I am not sure it'll produce any results. And Win98 wont run on my puter.
I just installed Virtual Box but Windows runs in a small window- I dunno if I can somehow enlarge it.Why have a certain number of re-activations allocated to someone anyway? Btw you are an action game fan aint ya? And extreme sports too! I bet the only time you ever get into a plane is to jump out of it  *Ack!just standing on a foot high stool gives me the shivers* Btw Linux games dont have cheats do they? And about partitioning, I just manually partitioned- root, swap, home and user.

DF,I am all of 32 but much older'n you in sin  Btw you are right, I have no real clue as to what made the VCD's work *sheepish grin*. And yes, getting to know how to do things in Windows was a lengthy process for me. And I still keep staring at stuff the kids do in Windows-like getting into an admin account when they dont know the password and changing all the icons and all that. Plus I do some really really stupid things- on the puter and off it- stupid enough to raise doubts as to me sanity so if I ever come in here and ask something quite nutty dont faint!

I love coming in here with all the sweet lil old (and young) guys around!


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## PureEvilDan (May 26, 2005)

corsair said:


> Hi
> Well Yakkeh, I cant use dual boot yet- I've exhausted the number of times I can re-activate XP and the auto phone re-activation keeps saying my ID isnt valid.


If you hold, you should speak to someone you have to convince you havn't installed XP on to millions of machines, and then they will activate it for you. 



corsair said:


> DF,I am all of 32 but much older'n you in sin
> ~
> I love coming in here with all the sweet lil old (and young) guys around!


So very glad you said young then


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## removed82807c (Jan 30, 2007)

By the way ... you are running windows but you say you can't dual-boot?

all you need is to have some extra disk space and install linux next to your windows. It will ask to use the free space, place grub as a bootloader and that'll make you choose between Windows and Linux.

Stupid Windows won't even notice anything has happened :-D


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## crazijoe (Oct 19, 2004)

> Honestly.... I've got a Vista cd that I bought with the laptop but it's never been installed. Instead, I'm using a WinXP Pro corporate edition (corporate versions don't ask for activation) that I "borrowed" from work.
> 
> I know this has legal issues, but they just piss me off way too much with the activcation crap to care about it.


Sorry to say but if you are upset with a certian company and their product, this is not a liable reason to do something illegal.


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## buccaneer (Mar 3, 2005)

EvilDan, hehe I knew someone young would see that post  About the activation- well I suppose I could do that but I'll have to go through that again and again wouldnt I? If they are afraid that someone will install the thing on a million machines cant they do something else about it? Something like , when you want to upgrade/change your puter, log in to a site and declare that their current machine-software link be terminated and then you get a new puter and activate it on that?That way you wouldnt be able to install in more'n one machine right?*Ok I know there must be a million things wrong with that particular idea- just from the fact that I thought of it * 
Yakkeh, I am sorry I didnt get around to updating my profile.I'm now running Kubuntu all by itself.

Crazijoe, I suppose installing an XP with activation process removed would be illegal even if you have the original CD?Btw making a customer pay for software and then lock it up so's he has to run around to make it work again aint that nice, if I may say so.But that doesnt seem to have any legal problem *sniff*


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## crazijoe (Oct 19, 2004)

corsair said:


> Crazijoe, I suppose installing an XP with activation process removed would be illegal even if you have the original CD?Btw making a customer pay for software and then lock it up so's he has to run around to make it work again aint that nice, if I may say so.But that doesnt seem to have any legal problem *sniff*


The one thing you fail to realize is the part of the software you acknowledge when you install it.
EULA
or for those that don't understand acronyms.
End User License Agreement. 
If you do not agree to the EULA, the software simply doesn't install.

It's your software that you purchased. You do what you want with it. However in this forum, we cannot assist in illegal activities and when someone states "Instead, I'm using a WinXP Pro corporate edition (corporate versions don't ask for activation) that I "borrowed" from work."
How blantant can you be.

This is America and you do have a choice. You did not have to buy a Windows operating system.


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