Hum. Linux.

[sosaiso]

So, feeling brave, I am deciding on installing Linux on my system. But before I do that, I just have a few questions.

I know there are many different types. Which would be the easier to use for someone who is just transitioning?

And are there any good step-by-step sites that I can look into before tinkering?

Second, I want to format one of my harddrives. Would that get rid of every partition?

Thanks.

[dog]

I'd suggest Mandriva :)

I suggest if you have partition software already available ... create say 15GB EXT3 partition and a 750MB Linux Swap ... it is possible to use the installer to do this for you, using available free space. Use the KDE desktop which is the default for Mandriva it's the most Windows Like.

If you decide to use Mandriva you'll want to check out and use http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/ ... then you'll have almost everyhting you'll ever need. :D

Regards;

Steve

[sosaiso]

Thanks a lot, dog.

Are there any compatibility issues I should be aware of? I am truly clueless about anything in Linux. Basically all I need to operate should be Office and Acrobat for work and other purposes. But do most software that is ready for windows work in Linux? Or is it like converting to a Mac, where barely anything works?

[Alphalutra1]

Openoffice is the free replacement for microsoft's office(so it will make the same file types like word, excel, powerpoint, etc.)

Also for windows programs, WINE will let you run many windows programs in linux or bsd.

If you are into trying out linux distros, i recommend opensuse 10(5 cds, so it is a large amount of downloading).

Aside from linux, PC-BSD is amazingly easy to use, and is the incredibly stable and secure free bsd os with a gui. Installing files is so easy, all you do is download a pbi from the pbi website located Here (http://www.pbidir.com/) and double click it and you will click next a couple of times and you are done!

I am loving it so far.

Alphalutra1

[sosaiso]

I may be presuming, but lot of this looks heavy on the resources.

Will an older computer be able to handle these systems?

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "I may be presuming, but lot of this looks heavy on the resources.

Will an older computer be able to handle these systems?" }-
Linux uses much fewer resources then Windows and is used on lots of old computers.

i think the best thing to do is try a livecd first (you boot into it from your cd/dvd drive) there's no install. that way you'll know if Linux will detect all your hardware.

if you try Ubuntu you can put this command into a Terminal Window (like DOS) -
lspci -n

then put the output into here (http://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/index.cgi) to see if Ubuntu can support your hardware.

here's a podcast just for new Linux users, if you listen to the first few it will tell you everything you need to know 8)
http://www.linuxreality.com./

[clansman77]

sosaiso
if you format your harddisk it will get rid of every partition in that harddisk.
but you can selectively format some partitions from your harddisk if you wish to.

i support your idea of trying out linux.installing and learning linux is fun.but dont expect a smooth ride always.its about selecting the right distro for your needs and sticking to it.u can face several problems like hardware detection issues.but at the end you wont regret it..first my advice is to try some live distros(almost all of the distros have live versions) and find out which suits you and get a feel of linux.but beware that live cds are very slow since they are booting from the cd and use your ram for apps..installed versions are significantly faster .

you can try live versions of
-knoppix
-ubuntu
-mepis
-mandriva
-opensuse

etc....

for a complete noob mandriva ,open suse,mepis,xandros,linspire,fedora are goood.
ubuntu,debian,are the other popular ones.
i personally use ubuntu coz it has excellent hardware detection and a very good support forum like here in wilders..
if you signup with shipit.ubuntu.com they even sent you free copies of both live and install cds for free---absolutely freei got mine like that.it takes around 3 weeks...

some useful links are..
http://distrowatch.com/
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/
http://linuxcommand.org/
http://www.tldp.org/guides.html
http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/index.php

so thats all.try out linux and once you get past that noob feeling you wont look back...;D 8)

[dog]

You'll find everything you'll need (program wise) ... I find open-source programs are much of the time better than their closed-source commercial partners. Linux is very friendly now, you don't need to be a geek at all - the help resources available on the net are fabulous. I've tried every distro mention except mepis; Mandriva I find the best, excellent repository (see link above) with almost everything imaginable - It's extremely popular (3rd overall - according to distro watch / Ubuntu 1st and SuSE 2nd) so help is abundant. But as mentioned above Ubuntu has the best support/help of any distro IMO, it's very comprehensive. But with this being your first venture I'd really suggest Mandriva or SuSE, they have graphical installers that no other distro's beats in regards to easy of use; everything is clearly explained.

Linux is my main OS; I completely moved over about six months ago and haven't looked back. I still have WinXP and a couple of other distro's installed, but never really boot into them, but they're there incase the need arises.

Backup your current HD before proceeding, partitioning in advance is suggested ... then dive right in and install :) If you find somethings difficult at first, stick with it - seeking out help - within a couple of weeks you'll be breezing along - I promise.

Have Fun :D

Steve

PS. Trying "Live CD's" first is also very sound advice ... you can get a good feel for the distro and also check your hardware is supported.

[sosaiso]

Okay, thanks for all the help. I think I'm going to create a live cd first. Most likely Ubuntu as the live, but Will us Manadriva if I decide Linux is for me.

I guess I'm just going to format my D: drive [all that is on it is a bunch of .dat files that I have no idea what they do. :T] and then try everything from there. It's limited on harddrive space, but I guess I can live with it.

So, correct me if I'm wrong... Make live CD. put CD into drive. Boot into CD. ~Wha-la~ linux?

And one last thing, clansman77, how does one just format one partition? I've never formatted in my life. :T

[sosaiso]

On a sidenote, which Linux looks the prettiest? Or is there an inherent ability to skin Linux?

[iceni60]

looks aren't an issue with Linux because you can change *everything* very easily with a few mouse clicks. that's really the main thing about Open Source or Free Software, although it's free (money-wise) the free bit is really about the programming code - you are free to change and do what you want with it.

the philosophy behind Linux is freedom, rather then being locked into Microsoft products which only work with other MS software with no access to the code and support only coming from MS. when MS wants a new product maybe 10 people will work on it, a new Free Software program can have a few hundred and everyone can look through and check the code. that's why alot of people think Free software is better quality.

but, as you ask, i think a little known distro called Fox is the prettiest
http://shots.osdir.com/slideshows/slideshow.php?release=538&slide=29&title=fox+desktop+1+screenshots
http://linclips.crocusplains.com/index.php?page=clip&id=22

here are screenshots of all the distros
http://shots.osdir.com/

and here are some screencasts
http://linclips.crocusplains.com/index.php

but, DON'T pick a distro by the way it looks. some have very little support, both in the way of help and also software which will work on them, some are also very, very difficult to install. Ubuntu is a very good first distro because there are 1000s of active contributors making sure it works, whereas something like Fox might just have one person doing all the work! and as i said you can make any distro look like any other. it's the internals which are important.

here's a video showing how to install Ubuntu
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6104490811311898236&q=ubuntu&pl=true

and here's another
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1946306951426939016&q=ubuntu&pl=true

here's a useful link for dual-booting
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/

the Ubuntu install CD will partition your drive for you. you can either dual-boot or wipe the drive and just install Ubuntu. i used a livecd first to check it detected my hardware. it mostly did, but i had to spend some time getting my modem to work.

[iceni60]

if you are willing to spend abit of money you can use this to migrate from windows to Linux, it does work with Ubuntu too now.
http://desktoplinux.com/news/NS7367638855.html

there's one thing about Linux, because it only supports free software the base install of Ubuntu, and many others which are free, won't play MP3s and some videos and a few other things which use proprietary codecs/software. (there is a free Ubuntu program (Automatix) though which will install all that stuff for you with a mouse click so it's no big problem), it lets you decide what you want to install, browsers, codecs, music players, anti-viruses, office programs - anything you can think of, then installs it all for you :D

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/107/automatix5xz.jpg

but, there are afew Linux distros which you can pay for that have these proprietary things pre-installed, i'm thinking mainly of Linspire. so it might be something to think about. but, for support you can't beat Ubuntu, the forum's similar to Wilders' but with an average of about 700 people.

http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=06/03/12/209257
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,124519,00.asp#
http://www.pcmech.com/show/os/917/

[TheQuest]

Hi, sosaiso

Also do not miss trying KANOTIX (http://forum.kanotix.net/index.php?&newlang=eng) LiveCD [or intall it] there are 32 and 64 bit Versions.

Take Care,
TheQuest 8)

[Alphalutra1]

Another idea.

If you download Vmware Player (http://www.vmware.com/products/player/), you can download vm images from the internet and try out products through windows, without making any changes to your pc.

There is a good list of all the premade virtual machines here (http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/community.html)

It also is nice for distros and OS's that don't have livecds. In addition, it runs faster from my experience. Very nice for dangerous surfing and p2p :lurking:

Alphalutra1

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "Another idea.

If you download Vmware Player (http://www.vmware.com/products/player/), you can download vm images from the internet and try out products through windows, without making any changes to your pc.

There is a good list of all the premade virtual machines here (http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/community.html)

It also is nice for distros and OS's that don't have livecds. In addition, it runs faster from my experience. Very nice for dangerous surfing and p2p :lurking:

Alphalutra1" }-
can all those vm OSs be used on the free player or server or whatever the free version is? i've got a syllable.vmx i got from a linux magazine, it came with one of the vm players too but, i just don't trust vmware after i used one of their free programs and it ended up 'timing out' and stopped working >:(

[sosaiso]

iceni60, thank you so much for all the links and advice. I am listening/watching/everything right now.

As for vmplayer, I was thinking the same alpha, but I am so low on harddrive space right now, I am going to forgo using that as an option. Much thanks as well though.

But as of right now, what I have narrowed it down to is... unbuntu, kanotix [thanks thequest. I shall look into this one], and dog's suggestion of mandriva.

I'm going to try Unbuntu first though. I have heard many good stories about that one as well, and am looking forward to their cds in the mail. 3 weeks to wait. I must study instead of tinkering with my comp all day. :T

I will let you all know how I go when it rolls around. All your help is much appreciated.

[dog [away]]

As Ice mentioned out of the box, some stuff isn't included ... but it is easily found and added. Use the link in my first post and follow the instructions ... there won't anything you can't play or do. :lurking: The output will look something like this urpmi.addmedia plf-free ftp://ftp.mandrivauser.cz/plf/mandriva/free/2006.0/i586 with hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia plf-nonfree ftp://ftp.mandrivauser.cz/plf/mandriva/non-free/2006.0/i586 with hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia --update updates ftp://mirror.cricyt.edu.ar/MandrivaLinux/official/updates/2006.0/main_updates/ with media_info/hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia main ftp://mirror.cricyt.edu.ar/MandrivaLinux/official/2006.0/i586/media/main with media_info/hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia contrib ftp://mirror.cricyt.edu.ar/MandrivaLinux/official/2006.0/i586/media/contrib with media_info/hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia jpackage ftp://mirror.cricyt.edu.ar/MandrivaLinux/official/2006.0/i586/media/jpackage with media_info/hdlist.czCopy the entire text and Open console; you'll need to enter SuperUser mode by typing SU -> then enter roots password (using sudo - won't work here as it's multi-step) ... right-click within console and select paste and then hit <Enter> ... it'll update the repository. After it's all updated exit SU/Console ... and have a look at all the new software available for you to install. :D

Have Fun

Steve

[sosaiso]

Nice. I didn't know about the not being available out of box, but I will keep this in mind when I'm pulling out my hair that my mp3's aren't playing. "oh right... they told me that this was going to happen."

On a side note:
I'm getting confused. Both dog, but one is |_|b3R l337, and the other is normal. ?.?

haha.

[dog [away]]

-{ Quote: "Nice. I didn't know about the not being available out of box, but I will keep this in mind when I'm pulling out my hair that my mp3's aren't playing. "oh right... they told me that this was going to happen."

On a side note:
I'm getting confused. Both dog, but one is |_|b3R l337, and the other is normal. ?.?

haha." }-Hehehe Ya we're both the same person ... I use my normal account dog from home, and dog [away] @ work / I just don't have the time to dedicate to moderating so I use a different account. But I ain't uber leet either way. :P :lurking:

MP3 will play out of the box, it's video codecs that usually need to be installed. Using urpmi or if you decide to go with Ubuntu using Ice's suggestion it'll be a breeze ... You'll never miss Windows. :)

[clansman77]

-{ Quote: "And one last thing, clansman77, how does one just format one partition? I've never formatted in my life. :T" }-

there are many ways to format your partition.probably the easiest is rightclick the partition from within windows (the one partition u want to format -it should be a non system drive )and choose format..;D ofcourse the installation media of any linux distro /windows also give u the choice to format/create/delete partition.linux is better in this regard..also there are specific free and paid softwares available to do the job-acronis,paragon,ranish partition manager,partition magic etc to name a few..
but i suggest u dont worry about this.during installation of linux there is an option about partitioning.choose manual partioning and u can manually edit the partitions...i think mandrivas and suses partition managers are best in this regard ubuntu and mepis is also not that bad.there are screenshots available of the installation of any linux distro in the net.google them have a look at them to get a fel of what to expect b4 u actually install linux.
dont get upset atfirst if something is not working in linux.hang in there and u can solve it urself and u wont lookback.try the ubuntu live cd first see how much ur hardware is detected .then if u like it install ubuntu.or else install either open suse or mandriva ...both of them are very good and provide some outof box support for novices..


@iceni60-
what kind of modem was that ??an internal dialup??i had a conexant internal one and didnt get any luck with it.had to use the speedcapped driver version from linuxant.got only 14kbps with it.so i purchased one external serial one just for linux..;D

[aigle]

I tried puppy linux and DSMl live CDs but for me biggest poblem is that I don,t know even ABC of command line, so I was just clicking here and there, knowing nothing what to do, like u are in a country u don,t know theie language. I was really fed up. How to know basic commands. I was not even able to know where is my HD or USB drive!

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "
@iceni60-
what kind of modem was that ??an internal dialup??i had a conexant internal one and didnt get any luck with it.had to use the speedcapped driver version from linuxant.got only 14kbps with it.so i purchased one external serial one just for linux..;D" }-
it's a USB SpeedTouch 330

to check Ubuntu will work with your hardware, put this into a command line window from a linux livecd - Ubuntu, Knoppix, Kanotix, Puppy Linux etc
lspci -n
then put the output of that command into the link below
http://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/index.cgi

NOTE you don't need to be using the Ubuntu Livecd - just any Linux livecd

[sosaiso]

Hum.

About this whole codec business. I watch a LOT of anime, and they're all encoded to mkv/ogm/lots of other names. If it so happens that it doesn't play on linux, where do i go to look for codecs?

And this command line business does not look too appealing.

[still waiting for cds, and procrastinating.]

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "Hum.

About this whole codec business. I watch a LOT of anime, and they're all encoded to mkv/ogm/lots of other names. If it so happens that it doesn't play on linux, where do i go to look for codecs?

And this command line business does not look too appealing.

[still waiting for cds, and procrastinating.]" }-
This is an interesting tool to choose linux distro.

http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/

[dog [away]]

-{ Quote: "Hum.

About this whole codec business. I watch a LOT of anime, and they're all encoded to mkv/ogm/lots of other names. If it so happens that it doesn't play on linux, where do i go to look for codecs?

And this command line business does not look too appealing.

[still waiting for cds, and procrastinating.]" }-I haven't found anything I haven't been able to play ... I know for sure mkv will play. Once you've used urpmi to update the repository, simple go into the add software function, use the search box to find all the available codecs and grab the media players MPlayer and VLC - this is all done thru a GUI. ;) Much of linux can be navigated/used without the need for using console/command line ... although over time, with a little effort it'll become easier and more comfortable to use, and you'll find yourself using it more and more. :)

[aigle]

Hi, I just tried Kanotix mini live CD yesterday on my Toshiba satellite M 70. It,s working well. It can recognize my SATA HD( as sda1), USB flash drive( as sdb1), USB keyboard and USB mouse, all fine. I just want help in few things,

1- I am not able to find how to configure a dial up connection. I searched but no way. Can anybody help.
2- How can I know which version I am using?
3- I want to use scanModem utility to scan my modem. I put the file in USB flash drive via XP, and I am able to see this file when I boot in linux, but I don,t know how to execute this file. Which command I should write in Bash for this?
4- After I run the scanModem utility, how can I save the result back in my USB drive, so that I can post it through XP?

Note: I don,t want to use my HD for this purpose, only live CD and USB drive.

Sorry for a bit off topic post but as the thread was about Linux in general, I thought it might be discussed.

[sosaiso]

I do not see it as offtopic. I'd def like to know how to access my USB drives as well.

And I am so glad to hear that VLC is able to run on Linux. Phew... But my favorite Media Player Classic doesn't seem to want to run on it. :T

[bigc73542]

aigle. one of the problems with Linux is that it is almost impossible to configure dialup internet unless you are a programmer and have a modem that will work with Linux, most dial up modems won't work with Linux.You might try a hardware modem, but they don't always work either. Linux is actually written to work with broadband.

[iceni60]

What BigC says is mainly true, but Kanotix has pretty good support for dial-up modems (you might think i'm odd but i was actually browsing through some of the work-arounds for modems on Kanotix yesterday ::) ;D ) do a search for the make of your modem with the word Kanotix or Linux and you might find something.

plus i got my modem working in the first couple of days of using Linux. true it did take about 2 days :P lol , but it works now 8) anyway, you can buy a new modem pretty cheaply.

[aigle]

U are right but actually I did a search on internet and all I got from there is that if I am lucky enough to get a linmodem driver for my modem, then it might work.
But as I told u the first step for this is to use scanModem and I am not sure which command I should write in Bash to run this tool.
I have no option for broadband, no way.
I am surprised linux is propagated as open source and cheep but u know most poor countries have mainly dial up, no aesy way for linux.
Anyhow I will try my best to look for driver for my modem.

[clansman77]

@aigle
linux in general has less support for dialup modems especially for internalpci modems and usb modems.these modems are called winmodems coz they are truly not hardware modems.part of their work is done by software -that is windows.they are optimized for windows and are also called softmodems/hsf/hcf modems/controllerless modems.the chipset manufacturers of these modems dont usually make drivers for these modems in linux coz it aint profitable for them and neither do they provide any code.only few chipsets have working drivers available for free.some of them notably conexant/linuxant offers drivers in linux for an year for a fee.they release drivers for each kernel version and for each distro.they also offers a speedcapped free version.this is not worth the fee.u can by an external serial modem (rs232)with that one year fee.linux offers built in excellent support for any serial external dialup modem out of box without any tinkering..i had a conexant internal dialup modem which was detected by ubuntu pbut i had to use the driver s from linuxant for connection.considering the fee they charges i opted for an external serial modem and it works flawless.;D

to use scan modem
Only use http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/packages/scanModem.gz

Browse http://linmodems.technion.ac.il and
download scanModem.gz . Within a Linux partition (copy the file from your usb flash drive to linux desktop)open a console and type the following commands..

-{ Quote: "
cd Desktop
gunzip scanModem.gz
chmod +x scanModem
./scanModem
" }-

remember to copy paste the commands..
it will create a folder named modem in your desktop read the files in there .there are lots in there..u can cpy that file into your usb flash drive and use..
Only the ouput ModemData.txt should be sent to Discuss@linmodems.org for support regarding your modem..

after configuring modem u can use
wvdial/gnomeppp/kppp/ppconfig etc for dialing out...

somelinks
www.linmodems.org
http://www.tldp.org

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "
I am surprised linux is propagated as open source and cheep but u know most poor countries have mainly dial up, no aesy way for linux.
Anyhow I will try my best to look for driver for my modem." }-
linux is about freedom. unfortunatey alot of modem companies don't like that idea and therefore don't support linux. some do, but the drivers are still closed source meaning when the driver becomes redundant Linux programmings can't use the source code to make the necessary changes to make the modems work again.

so, it's not the fault of Linux, but companies which don't support Linux. it's best to just use hardware which actively supports and works with Linux.

http://www.linux-drivers.org/
http://www.linux.org/vendor/hardware/index.html
http://www.linux.org/hardware/index.html
http://www.linuxdevices.com/

[aigle]

Thanks I will try this command.

[Alphalutra1]

-{ Quote: "I do not see it as offtopic. I'd def like to know how to access my USB drives as well." }-

To get to usb drives, just open up a file explorer and type in "/media/" and you should see your usb drive along with any cd and floppy drives.

Alphalutra1

[aigle]

I have a real bad luck. No way although I tried too much. I was able to copy scanModem to desktop. I did as following
su
root
cd Desktop
root desktop
gunzip scanModem.gz
gunzip: no such file or directory
cd /sda1/
no such file or directory
cd /sdb1/
no such file or directory
cd /dev/had/
no such file or directory

I don,t know why as it is automounting my HD( as sda1 and I can see all the contents of my HD, including windows) and USB as sdb1 and I can see all its contents and copied the scanModem utility from there to desktop by mouse.
I was able to check properties of scanModem file by Rt.click, there is no permission to execute for owner even. I was not able to change execute permissions as I tried as follows

su
root
cd Desktop
root desktop
ls -l scanModem.gz
No such file or directory( and I can see the file on Desktop_ it,s surprizing).

It is in Kanotix( Cox USB) linux.

Same in DSL.
Here it is rather worse. As I am not able to see my HD or USB, no auto mounting I think.
There is a mounting device and by this I was able to mount CD room(already being used by live CD- so can,t understand it). Floppy not mounted( of course as laptop has no floppy drive).
Another drive shown mounted was sda1( don,t know it is HD or USB).
When I gave command
cd sda1 - again no success.
Also here when I enter us
It asks me root password and I have not set any password!

It,s all about my struggle with linux. I tried Puppy linux as well, and that a bigger failure, bad Distro for me
so will not write here although I was able to boot.

I can,t use my HD to install as I have installed RollbckRx.
Any help will be appreciated. Now I know why Linux is not popular.

[clansman77]

aigle i am not so familiar with kanotix and dsl.if you could get it try ubuntu live cd/knoppix which are more popular...

[iceni60]

setting up Linux for the first time is the hardest thing! but, after it's done you'll have learnt alot and you should end up loving it.

are you following a tutorial? post a link if you are.

[aigle]

Thanks clansman and iceni, I was able to run scan Modem in DSL. About my last post, I think infact I was not able to copy it on desktop in Kanotix( CPX MINI). I then entered USB and all was OK but when I gave command ./scanModem, it says Bad interpreter, Permission Denied( inspite i entered as su and file was having read,write and exucute permissions), any idea what is wrong here. BTW I am using CPX MINI ( a mini USB distribution based on Kanotix), so it is not exactly Kanotix I think. Anyhow i don,t know why command ./scanModem is not executed?

OK, now about DSL, it obeyed the command nicely and made a data file in USB that I am going to post to linmodem.org.

I will be thankful if somebody can help in these questions.

1- Why command ./scanModem is not executed in CPX MINI.
2- When i give command su in DSL, it askes me password, while I never set a password, so what does it mean?
3- I am able to find Modem Configuration settings in DSL but I can,t find it in CPX MINI although I tried too muck. Can anybody help me how I can find. Maybe if it can recognize my modem, I might not need to install a linux driver as it seems to detect most of my hardware( very pleasant especially when u use linux on laptop).

BTW, I am only using live CD for both.

@clansman
I think Kanotix and DSL both are Knoopix based.

@iceni
I have very bitter experience, I will say there is no easy tutorial about linux for dummies. When I started, I thought it will be easy like windows but …..I have to look so many sites and helps but inspite of that it took 3-4 days just to execute a file(scanModem). lol
Anybody who has no idea of command line interface can,t get spoon feeding tutorials. Especially I am not able to find any How-To or DIY videos( they make everything very so palatable).

[bluebishop]

Out of curiosity, I've downloaded and tried most of the interesting Linux Live CD's here: http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php

But contrary to the experience of others, I found Linux Puppy 1.0.8 to be the most exciting distro bar none! As everything runs in RAM, there are no delays and the speed is nothing short of astounding.

* Puppy easily installs to USB, Zip or hard drive media.
* Booting from CD, Puppy loads totally into RAM so that the CD drive is then free for other purposes.
* Booting from CD, Puppy can saves everything back to the CD, no need for a hard drive.
* Booting from USB, Puppy will greatly minimises writes, to extend the life of Flash devices indefinitely.
* Puppy is extremely friendly for Linux newbies.
* Puppy boots up and runs extraordinarily fast.
* Puppy has all the applications needed for daily use.
* Puppy just works, no hassles.
* Puppy breathes new life into old PCs

For such a small OS, it has all the required applications for most people:
Wordprocessing
Web page editing
Personal accounting
Instant messenging
Addressbook, Calendar
Web browser
Spreadsheet editor
File manager
Desktop publishing
Vector image editing
Outliner, organiser
Bitmap image editing
Audio
Video
Games
Conversion, printing, scanning
Package management
Network
Window manager
Database
Help

But perhaps the most important consideration for me is that I can literally carry my computer in my pocket. LOL! My wallet even! (No kidding!) It can even function as a great Windows Rescue Disk and can access my HDD with all my Win Files whenever Win refuses to boot up!

Love it!

[bluebishop]

-{ Quote: "I have very bitter experience, I will say there is no easy tutorial about linux for dummies. When I started, I thought it will be easy like windows but ….." }-

The Linux closest to Windows would be Linspire 5.0.

[aigle]

But have to pay. It,s no cheeper.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "Out of curiosity, I've downloaded and tried most of the interesting Linux Live CD's here: http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php
My wallet even! (No kidding!) It can even function as a great Windows Rescue Disk and can access my HDD with all my Win Files whenever Win refuses to boot up!

Love it!" }-
Tried on my laptop.It doesn,t recognize USB flash drive, USB mouse, USB keyboard, and even SATA drive. Pretty useless on my laptop at least.

[bluebishop]

Funny... Because one of the first things Puppy OS asks when running it live for the first time is whether you have a serial or USB mouse/keyboard. In addition, I simply had to mount my USB Flash Drive (in the Drive Icon) to use it. In fact the drive icon looks like a USB thumb disk...

I can't comment on the SATA drive as I don't use one.

[aigle]

U might be using it on Desktop!

[clansman77]

btw aigle what kind of modem do you have??which is the chipset??is it an internal one or external usb/serial??

[aigle]

Of couse internal. PCI Ithink. It, laptop, Toshiba satellite M 70. I have contacted linmodem.org for drivers but still I need to find the answers of my questions in post no.38.

[dog [away]]

-{ Quote: "Of couse internal. PCI Ithink. It, laptop, Toshiba satellite M 70. I have contacted linmodem.org for drivers but still I need to find the answers of my questions in post no.38." }-Have you tried their forum for help? http://kanotix.com/PNphpBB2-newlang-eng.html or directly to the english sub-forum - http://kanotix.com/PNphpBB2-index-c-5.html

Ps. I don't believe the root PW is usually set on a live CD.

[aigle]

I am doing it also, alongwith other forums but infact u will not get so many responses there, not like here.

[iceni60]

try this

put scanModem (http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/packages/scanModem.gz) on your desktop. right-click it and select extract. 8)

then open a command window and copy and paste the stuff below.
cd Desktop/
chmod +x scanModem
./scanModem

BTW to check your hardware you can use this command.
cd Desktop/
su lshw > hardware.txt

if the su bit doesn't work just do this instead
cd Desktop/
lshw > hardware.txt

[aigle]

Thanks iceni, as I told in my post 38 I was able to run scanModem on DSL and the data file I got I have sent to linmodem.org but in CPX mini linux, when I type final command ./scanModem, the response is Bad interpreter, Permission Denied. It,s strange!

However I checked my hardware by command lspci -v and psted the result to the forum. I have got some suggestion for drivers already. But I don,t know why ./scanModem command is not executed?
Secondly on DSL , when I type su, it asks for password and I never se a password. Somebody suggested sudo and sudosu but it did not work either. It accepts sudo but I don,t see login as root.

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "Thanks iceni, as I told in my post 38 I was able to run scanModem on DSL and the data file I got I have sent to linmodem.org but in CPX mini linux, when I type final command ./scanModem, the response is Bad interpreter, Permission Denied. It,s strange!

However I checked my hardware by command lspci -v and psted the result to the forum. I have got some suggestion for drivers already. But I don,t know why ./scanModem command is not executed?
Secondly on DSL , when I type su, it asks for password and I never se a password. Somebody suggested sudo and sudosu but it did not work either. It accepts sudo but I don,t see login as root." }-
./scanModem means run scanModem from the directory i'm in, so for it to work you you need to cd to your desktop if that's where it is, also, Linux commands are case sensitive.

the Bad interpreter, Permission Denied bit is maybe because you need to run su ./scanModem (Super User, which is the same as admin in windows) or scanModem hasn't been made executable
cd Desktop/
chmod +x scanModem

you can check if it's been made executable by doing this
cd Desktop
ls -a

if it's executiable you will see a line with scanmodem at the end starting with this -
-rwxr-xr-x
if not it will look like this -
-rw-r--r--

BTW r=read w=write x=execute

i'll see if i can find out about su. i've only ever really used Ubuntu so i don't know why su isn't working.

[aigle]

I was already in the right directory sdb1( USB drive containing the scanModem file). Ant I did enter as root. Moreover I checked properties of scanModem file and it were rwxrwxr-x, so this problem is really stange. May be something special of this version( CPX MINI). Although I was able to run it on DSL but just curious why it is not working in CPX. BTW, CPX has very good look as compared to DSL.
I am now currently downloading Kubuntu( on dial up---- bit by bit).
I want to ask on live CD, if I want to install some driver or software, can I install it on a USB drive, or inside Ram( don,t want to touch my HD), or it will be permanantly installled in the CD with CD writer?- just new to these Live CDs!
Thanks for the help.

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "I was already in the right directory sdb1( USB drive containing the scanModem file). Ant I did enter as root. Moreover I checked properties of scanModem file and it were rwxrwxr-x, so this problem is really stange. May be something special of this version( CPX MINI). Although I was able to run it on DSL but just curious why it is not working in CPX. BTW, CPX has very good look as compared to DSL.
I am now currently downloading Kubuntu( on dial up---- bit by bit).
I want to ask on live CD, if I want to install some driver or software, can I install it on a USB drive, or inside Ram( don,t want to touch my HD), or it will be permanantly installled in the CD with CD writer?- just new to these Live CDs!
Thanks for the help." }-
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LiveCDPersistence
NOTE is says for Ubuntu i'm not sure about Kubuntu!

you might try buying a Linux magazine too, ATM Linux Format has 3 live Distros with the option to install to your HDD if you like the livecd - (that's the DVD version, the CD version only has SimplyMepis which is one of the most popular distros). however, the only real option is the SimplyMepis out of the three, the other two Gentoo and OpenSolaris aren't such good options.

[iceni60]

use sudo instead of su that should solve it 8)

if for some reason that doesn't work you can do this to generate a password. but, print/write this out first because you will loose the GUI while you do it!

do this key combo
crtl-alt-f1

then type
passwd to set the root password and then crtl-alt-f7 to get back to the GUI

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LiveCDPersistence
NOTE is says for Ubuntu i'm not sure about Kubuntu!

you might try buying a Linux magazine too, ATM Linux Format has 3 live Distros with the option to install to your HDD if you like the livecd - (that's the DVD version, the CD version only has SimplyMepis which is one of the most popular distros). however, the only real option is the SimplyMepis out of the three, the other two Gentoo and OpenSolaris aren't such good options." }-
Thanks for thr link iceni. Its, really very nice information. I did not find much information about linux presented in so easy way. I think I will try ubuntu. I will try to download it.
So can we install KDE over ubuntu to tronsform it in kubuntu in live CD?

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "use sudo instead of su that should solve it 8)

if for some reason that doesn't work you can do this to generate a password. but, print/write this out first because you will loose the GUI while you do it!

do this key combo
crtl-alt-f1

then type
passwd to set the root password and then crtl-alt-f7 to get back to the GUI" }-
I have tried sudo already but can,t become root by this way.
SO during the reset of password, it will not ask for password?
Abd what will be my new passwoed after that(PASSWORD?)

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "I have tried sudo already but can,t become root by this way.
SO during the reset of password, it will not ask for password?
Abd what will be my new passwoed after that(PASSWORD?)" }-
sudo should work, what error do you get when you try using it? you can try -
sudo bash
when you reset the password it should ask you to make one.

BTW if you are thinking of using Kubuntu Simply Mepis is probably a better idea. but, for support Ubuntu is much, much better

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=158294


here's the beginner forum for ubuntu
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=73

plus there's the Ubuntu support forum
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=90

this is the only Kubuntu forum
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=99

have a look at the Last Post times!

here's the Mepis forum
http://www.mepis.org/forum

[sosaiso]

Okay, without turning this thread into an open flame war,

What exactly are the advantages of Linux? I keep hearing about them, but I can't seem to find a definite list. [compared to Windows, Mac also if possible.]

What I have understood is:
Linux:
- better kernel.
- hard to use.

And that's about it. >.<

[aigle]

Thanks iceni, Especially for the links. Ya, I did sudo su and it works also. Thanks.

I will try ubuntu after a break. Just wana ask u were able to use modem on ubuntu? if so what type od modem and PC it was.

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "Okay, without turning this thread into an open flame war,

What exactly are the advantages of Linux? I keep hearing about them, but I can't seem to find a definite list. [compared to Windows, Mac also if possible.]

What I have understood is:
Linux:
- better kernel.
- hard to use.

And that's about it. >.<" }-
Linux is acutally only the kernel. it's used in Gnu/Linux systems, just about all the programs are Gnu's (http://www.gnu.org/) it's just unfortunate for Gnu alot of people don't realise that.

the reason i think Linux is better is because the software is open source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source) that means for each program used in 'Linux' more programmers have seen, and therefore, corrected, worked on and improved the code. it also means you have better support for the same reasons.

because Linux is open source it means there is much more choice because people can write programs which fit into Linux e.g. have a look at these (http://www.linux.org/apps/all/GUI/Window_Managers.html) Window Mangers for Linux (look some of the names up in google image (images.google.com/) to see how they look, the two most well known are gnome (http://www.gnome.org/) and KDE (http://www.kde.org/) - Windows only has explorer.exe :( those are just some Window Managers there are many, many other projects!

MS's source code is closed, only afew people within MS can see and improve it. source code which is not available to the public can become bloated and sloppy because the programmers know no one will ever see the code - Windows XP's takes up about 4 times more space on my HDD then Ubuntu - that's just the basic install!!!

i have never had Ubuntu crash on me. the whole system works much better then Windows and is much faster and responsive.

the downside of Linux is hardware support - hardware manufacturers make sure their hardware works for MS software then leave it at that, so it might not work with Linux, that isn't the fault of Linux, but the hardware makers! however, there are some linux friendly manufacturers - HP, nvidia etc it's always best to check something will work with Linux before you buy.

-{ Quote: " Just wana ask u were able to use modem on ubuntu? if so what type od modem and PC it was." }-
no my modem doesn't really work with Linux, i have a Conexant modem like clansman had, i had to spend sometime making it work. if you have a livecd which works for you and the only thing which doesn't work is your modem then it's probably best to buy a new modem.

here's a page about Linux and modems
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Modem-HOWTO.html#toc2

if you want to find a modem which works with K/Ubuntu you can ask/find out at the links below
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=98
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=88639

there's also the Wiki
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/

i only use Ubuntu but if you want a different distro it shouldn't be too hard to find something.

[iceni60]

i just found these links -
Overview of the ten major Linux distributions (http://www.linuxforums.org/reviews/overview_of_the_ten_major_linux_distributions.html)
and here's a podcast based on the article
http://www.twatech.org/shows.php?ep=96

[aigle]

Thanks for the lot of information. I will try with linux, although it,s really hard for me. And to install any software or drivers, I must know the commands.

[clansman77]

another link for ya aigle.the mother of all guides about modems...
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/html_single/Modem-HOWTO/

[aigle]

Ya, thanks clansman77. It realy seems good and deserves to be a "mama" of modem guides. I searched much about linux but did not find it before. From where u got it?
Thanks.

[clansman77]

-{ Quote: "Ya, thanks clansman77. It realy seems good and deserves to be a "mama" of modem guides. I searched much about linux but did not find it before. From where u got it?
Thanks." }-
i had tried sometime ago to make my internal modem work with ubuntu.i had used the info from that site (the linux documentation project site) to make it work.somebody pointed me to that site early when i was experimenting with linux.it also contains excellent howtos and guides about various aspects of linux.i believe i pointed the same site somewhere above in this thread itself to sosaiso.today i happened to stumble upon the same site and thought that it might help you...

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "i had tried sometime ago to make my internal modem work with ubuntu." }-

So did u succeed in it?

Thanks for the link. I am still working on it but I am limited due to dial up. Live CDs are not available here in market.I have to download even a single distro in many days.

I will try to ask one of my friends to download them for me as he has DSL, but it is will now take weeks until I can play with ubuntu or any other distro. Somebody in the forums discussed about PClinuxOS to be good for beginners.

[clansman77]

aigle if you need ubuntu i think its better u sign up with
https://shipit.ubuntu.com/
they provide absolute free shipment of both live cd and an install cd for you within 3weeks anywhere in the world..i got it like that.they usually sent a 5 cd pack for you and your friends..and if you want to wait a new version of ubuntu will arrive by june 1st-called dapper dake..

about the internal modem.ya i got it working but with a speedcapped driver from linuxant(free version).i could get only 14-20 kbps with it so i went for an external serial modem...they are cheap nowadays...

[sosaiso]

don't ship it yet. Wait a month. That's when the new release is coming out to be shipped. I just found that out today looking at their website. :T

*still waiting for the Linux package to be delievered*

But very good links that I have been pointed to. I started reading, and I feel like I have a clue of what is going on. I can't wait to try it out. :D

Maybe I wont even need to upgrade to Vista! Well, that's the hope...

oh, btw, does linux support zip files, rar's? All I see are like .tar's and things of that nature. I need to receive a lot of zips. I couldn't see if this was a compatibliity issue or not. thanks.

And any recs for a good opensource pdf reader/creator?

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "aigle if you need ubuntu i think its better u sign up with
https://shipit.ubuntu.com/" }-

I oredered one about more than 2 months back and according to them thry shipped but I never got them. I ordered again about a week back and see this time what happens. After one month when the new version is there, I will order again.
-{ Quote: "
about the internal modem.ya i got it working but with a speedcapped driver from linuxant(free version).i could get only 14-20 kbps with it so i went for an external serial modem...they are cheap nowadays..." }-

So if I buy an external modem, it will work with all distro or every distro might need different modem? From where I can find there prices/ choices etc.
Also I don,t think I can attach an external serial modem with laptop?

[clansman77]

-{ Quote: "So if I buy an external modem, it will work with all distro or every distro might need different modem? From where I can find there prices/ choices etc.
Also I don,t think I can attach an external serial modem with laptop?" }-

aigle if you buy an external serial modem with a rs232 jack connector i am sure it will work right out of the box for almost every distro of linux 90 percent of times.for some distros u need some tweaking..mine works with ubuntu,mandrake linux,mepis, right out of the box..note it should not be an external usb modem or an internal modem.it should connect to your pc thru your serial port/rs232 jack(an external hardware serial modem)...and if the manufacturer specifies that it works with linux then its even better.though you shouldnt worry about it much..almost every external serial modems work with linux (any distro).linux has prebuilt drivers for external serial modems..

you can search ebay for models and prices..i am not sure about other sites .may be somebody else with the knowhow will chime in..anyway if you make up your mind to buy any particular model search google with the particular model to see anybody has any issues with it..and then finalise it...

if your laptop has a serial port then i think you can attach an external serial modem to that port..you can look into your laptop manual to confirm that..

and i believe you can also get the linux distributions with computer magazines..they are freely distributing linux distributions with them..:)

for novices i recommend-mandriva,suse(a new version 10.1 is coming soon),fedora5,or ubuntu..:thumb:

another way to acquire cds is to contact your local LUGS(linux user groups).they may happily sent you cds if you pay the postage..8)

[aigle]

Thanks clansman, that,s really very nice information from you. I am so thankful.

[clansman77]

you are welcome aigle

[dog [away]]

BTW for anyone interested -

Hardening Linux - Bastille (http://www.bastille-linux.org/#) ... and a walkthrough (http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1414)

Integrity tool - Tripwire (http://sourceforge.net/projects/tripwire/) - and a walkthrough (http://www.bastille-linux.org/jay/tripwire.html)

[aigle]

Hardening the linux is so far for me. At the moment I want to make it as so soft that I could be able to run it.

Anyhow thanks for the link. I can,t use being beginner but I am sure somebody might try them.

[sosaiso]

http://www.reallylinux.com/docs/consult.shtml

I'd just like to point out this page. It is a really good beginner's guide.

[sosaiso]

So, I finally have a copy of a Linux install cd.

I only have one harddrive though. Is it safe to set up a dual boot? It's already partitioned into two parts, one at 30GB for Windows, and one at 8 GB originally for something Windows related before I just said "off you go."

Is there anything risky with just saying, "hey linux, in you go, into my 8 GB partition."

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "So, I finally have a copy of a Linux install cd.

I only have one harddrive though. Is it safe to set up a dual boot? It's already partitioned into two parts, one at 30GB for Windows, and one at 8 GB originally for something Windows related before I just said "off you go."

Is there anything risky with just saying, "hey linux, in you go, into my 8 GB partition."" }-
different distros have different installers, what are you going to install? Mepis? it might be best to do a search on their forums.

also, if it were me, just incase something goes wrong, i'd print out instructions for fixing the MBR, because Linux will install its own boot loader which will work for your Distro and Windows. the worst thing which could happen is not being able to boot to Linux or Windows and that will be because of a corrupt MBR - it's called grub or lilo

i think all you do to fix it is boot to the recovery console, tap F8 at boot or boot from the windows cd and select the recovery console, then write
fixmbr
if that doesn't work try
fixboot

[sosaiso]

I hope to start using the Ubuntu distro. It may not be the most userfriendly I guess, but I mean it's got a large crowd, quick constant fixes, and great support. I guess the main thing I'm worried about it support.

[iceni60]

Ubuntu is very user friendly. he's a dual-boot video
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6104490811311898236

there's more if you search for things like dual booting ubuntu

[sosaiso]

Thanks a lot. I've watched this a few times, and I feel like I have a decent idea of what to do.

I'll let you know how i go. Thanks for walking through this iceni.

[clansman77]

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Installation

hope this helps

[aigle]

A good news for me! Somebody in a forum told me he has a Toshiba laptop with Agere soft modem( like mine) and Kanotix live CD recogniaed it( and all other hardware) straightaway. He can use his dial up without any tweaks.
So I am excited to try Kanotix now.

[clansman77]

aigle thats goodnews.let us know how things go after ur install..

[aigle]

lol, u have to wait for weeks. I use dial up and pay on hourly basis. So I just download by free download manager in background while surfing the net.
But sure, I will make a post after trying it. I was ownloading ubuntu VMware version( did about 40%) but now I paused that and started to download Kanotix lite.

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "lol, u have to wait for weeks. I use dial up and pay on hourly basis. So I just download by free download manager in background while surfing the net.
But sure, I will make a post after trying it. I was ownloading ubuntu VMware version( did about 40%) but now I paused that and started to download Kanotix lite." }-
you could try asking in the Kanotix forum where a good place to get a cd is, someone will probably send you one.

[aigle]

Right but it,s hard to get here in Saudi Arabia except may be in some of its big cities. I will try.

[sosaiso]

I tried the vmware of Ubuntu. It wasn't bad. The only problem I had with it was how long it took to extract. Understandable, but on my old computer, 40 mins put some worry in me. :T

[aigle]

Hey, 40 minutes is too much! but may be acceptable as it is like an OS install on ur pc.
How was speed after that and what hardware it recognized? Also what applications u ran?

[sosaiso]

The extract was from 500 megs to 2 gigs. That is why I thought it was understandable. :T

Um, for the other questions, everything ran smoothly after, [p4 and 512 ram], [but when tried on a p4 with 256 ram, vmware told me that there was not enough resources], [taking too long at home so i can't say how long a celeron with 256 ram will do.] It recognized most of the hardware I had, printer, etc. I don't know about dialup, because all three computers are ethernet. All the installed applications ran. I don't know about updating, because when I tried, it told me that I needed a password, and I didn't know what it was talking about. I guess it came with a default account that I was unaware of. Perhaps someone else more knowledgable can clarify this.

Hope this helps a bit. I have more playing around to do on the vmware, so I'll update when I get the chance.

[iceni60]

if you are using an old computer then it might be a good idea to try Damn Small Linux. it's a live cd which i think is only 50MB. the reason i think it would be a good idea is it uses fewer resources then other distros, if it runs at an exceptable speed it will give you a better idea what you could install because you can make all distros more like DSL.
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/dsl-2.3.jpg
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/dsl-2.3jwm.jpg

[Comp01]

I use Xubuntu on my P3 1Ghz/192MB/5.4GB system and it is fine (Xubuntu is just Ubuntu with the Xfce Window system, probably not the best for someone so use to Windows.) If you like you can try http://www.kubuntu.org/ which is Ubuntu with KDE (Which is the closest to a Windows enviroment on Linux, but also the heaviest resource wise.) Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/) uses the Gnome Window manager and is a bit lighter than Kubuntu (Besides the user-interfaces, both versions are exact.) Again - I use Xubuntu (Which there is no real distro for right now.) http://shots.osdir.com/slideshows/slideshow.php?release=517&slide=30 but Xfce can easily be installed if you're running on older hardware (Like I am, if I had more RAM I would easily be running KDE or Gnome, but GUI's don't bother me, I like Xfce, would probably use it on my main system if I were to install Linux on it (P4 3.0Ghz, 512MB, 128MB Graphics card, 2x 80GB SATA, 1x 60GB IDE), its all about personal choice, as others mentioned, try some LiveCD's first, Ubuntu and Kubuntu have LiveCD's, I personally find Ubuntu to be the best, though you may want to try ArkLinux (Which aims at being completly user-friendly, can be installed with a few mouseclicks) http://www.arklinux.org/ - It is nice, but it didn't support my graphics chipset and didn't run very well on 192MB RAM (I really need to upgrade my P3 later), in the end you have to try atleast a few different distros before you can truely decide, Knoppix is a good liveCD to just get a feel of the KDE enviroment, also try PCLinuxOS (Google it, I don't know the exact URL right now) PCLinuxOS is at version 0.92, and it may seem like an early on development but it is actually VERY nice from what I tested. Just try a few distros and then decide, it would actually probably be best to try the different Window managers first (Knoppix has 3-4 installed I believe.) as that'll be your operating enviroment, I'd go with trying KDE, Gnome and Xfce first, once you know which you like better, then go for a distro and install or get the version with that Window manager. In the end a decently configured Linux box WILL run better than Windows (My Linux box is more of a project than anything.) it all depends on your hardware and what you want. Also for Windows app (On Ubuntu) try this small tutorial http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/wine.php - I used it and within 10 minutes I had my main Windows-only apps running under it (mIRC, WinAmp, etc) and I haven't tried MS Office, I heard it will work, but I use OpenOffice on all of my machines, so I had no reason to test.

[aigle]

Thanks sosaiso, I wana ask about VMware.
I am not able to understand one thing about it.They offer many things, VMware player, server, workstation etc. I want to know which one of these softewares is for home users.
( Currently I have downloadeed VMware player and will later download ubuntu VMware version( 512 MB) to run in it.)

[Comp01]

-{ Quote: "Thanks sosaiso, I wana ask about VMware.
I am not able to understand one thing about it.They offer many things, VMware player, server, workstation etc. I want to know which one of these softewares is for home users.
( Currently I have downloadeed VMware player and will later download ubuntu VMware version( 512 MB) to run in it.)" }-


VMware player is the free version, it can use the images that you download from VMware and other VMware created images, VMware workstation allows you to fully emulate a system, you can install any x86 compatible OS under it (Windows, Linux, BSD, etc) - I believe the only differences between player and Workstation is the ability to create your own images. I'm not sure what the differences in VMware server is from Workstation besides that it has a server license and is probably a bit more powerful as to use both Linux and Windows server tools I believe? Anyone can correct me if I am wrong on this, I haven't read anything about VMware server, so sorry.

[sosaiso]

So, I have been running a liveCD of Ubuntu for the past three days or so, and I like what it offers. I haven't plugged in any of the rest of my hardware yet, but I will look forward to doing that in a few weeks.

I was just wondering. Is there a scandisk or a diskdefrag equivilent for Linux? I've gotten so used to doing both of those on a regular basis I almost miss them. Are they needed?

And a second question I have is, I have bitdefender for linux running, is that redundant? Or should I just keep it there for a just-in-case situation?

On that line, what are good firewall packages that you can recommend? Is there a HIPS equivilent? I understand that they aren't really needed on a Linux box, but habits die hard. :T

[clansman77]

there is a file system checker in linux.fsck i believe and i donno about defragmentation issues.ubuntu does have iptables firewall.firestarter x is gui for it i think..dog has posted some 2 links about making your system secure in linux in the same thread itself.one is tripwire and other is bastille..

[bktII]

sosaiso,

I currently use both Ubuntu and Fedora Core 4 because I wanted to get some experience with both a Debian-based distro and a Red Hat-based distro, respectively. I like both and presently have no preference of one over the other.

I find Ubuntu to be easier to use, especially for Sun's JRE/JDK and my Java apps. Fedora is favoring the open JPackage for Java, which is fine, and recommends you install Sun's JRE/JDK in the /opt directory so that it will not get overwritten during upgrades. I have placed most of my Java apps in the /opt directory as well. Fedora just takes a little more time and effort in this regard.

clansman77,

I have a Fedora Core 5 DVD sitting on my desk. Upon my next partition imaging of my laptop, I will attempt to upgrade to Fedora Core 5. I may wait until I have received the DesktopBSD CD as I will attempt to replace Ubuntu on my laptop. I am currently dual-booting my desktop with Ubuntu and XP Pro.

Regards,

bktII

[iceni60]

there are afew different file systems, but none of them need to be manually defragged. really you don't need to do anything, no services listen by default and there's a firewall already running. but, you can install firestarter for a FW frontend.

i use clam AV but not in real time, just to scan the odd file i download. alot of the software installs are done from an Ubuntu repository which uses checksums to verify the file/s.

alot of things are done with crons, crontab (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cron) is a small program to help write crons, most of the important crons are pre-configured so you don't have to worry about it.

here's a short 5/10 mp3 about crons
http://www.twatech.org/shows.php?ep=77

actually, crons are good to learn about but you don't need to know about them to keep Linux running. i only have one which i've configurated.

[sosaiso]

So, this verfies that I do not need a realtime scanner for Linux I guess. Much thanks. That should free up some memory/space/time.

I will look into firestarter... I guess for the GUI prettiness.

As for Linux hardening, I am reluctant to do that in this early stage. perhaps in a few months.

I hope to upgrade from the Live to an Install by this weekend, if I could ever get Kubuntu to download. :T

I guess the most annoying thing about this migration is the data backup. No external harddrive/dvd burner is certainly a drag when it comes to these things. 20 Gigs of information to be burned onto tiny little 700 meg CDs. There has to be a simpler way.

oh, and I meant to ask, Gnome is more stable than KDE?

[bktII]

iceni,

You have touched on something dear to my heart: linux mini-distros.

Regarding dsl, I currently have dsl-embedded (dsl with open-source qemu) on both of my PCs. I sometimes use this as a virtual environment for surfing.

I also like Puppy linux, +/- 65 MB download, here:

http://www.puppylinux.org/user/viewpage.php?page_id=1

Puppy is my linux rescue CD for my laptop PC.

Another mini-distro I have not tried is Feather linux.

For a desktop install, I prefer the dsl security model to that of Puppy. With Puppy, you are root which is OK as long as you're not on the internet. But on the internet ... ? Others, however, are quite comforatable with this and as long as one is careful with downloads, installs, surfing habits, etc. it all comes down to risk management. This distro was built using Windows 98 as a model which is perfectly fine. With dsl you are a regular user and, if I remember correctly, you use su or sudo for commands requiring root authorization.

Both Puppy and dsl both have a useful collection of software that can be automatically downloaded and installed.

There ought to be a major non-profit effort to resue old PCs, set them up with a linux mini-distro and provide them to individuals/families that cannot afford to purchase a computer. This would, in my opinion, help to make the information (and/or knowledge) economy more democratic than it is currently. The issue of online access, however, remains.

Cool stuff!

bktII

[iceni60]

i've heard Feather is supposed to be really good. here are some screensshots. there's an install version too.
http://fossplanet.osdir.com/slideshows/slideshow.php?release=72&slide=8&title=feather+linux+0.5.7+screenshots

check out nubuntu 8) http://www.nubuntu.org/
http://oliverwine.info/nubuntu/screens/640/screen5.jpg

[bktII]

Thanks for the Feather screen shots. Similar look to dsl and Puppy. I wasn't aware of an install version.

Hmm... nubuntu is a portly mini-distro with a download weighing in at 222 MB.

[clansman77]

hi bktII
i will get my fc5 dvd today.planning toinstall that this week.hearing here some good comments about desktopbsd and pcbsd.have you tried any of these bsds b4??
regards
clansman

[bktII]

clansman77,

Never tried BSD before. I ordered a DesktopBSD CD yesterday. Don't know how long it takes to ship. I've seen it take anywhere from a few days to a month with some Linux distros DVDs.

Looking forward to trying it out on my laptop.

Hope your fc5 install goes well. Are you doing a fresh install of fc5 or an upgrade from fc4?

bkII

[Upasaka]

About 18 months ago I aquired Suse 9.1 as a boxed set,1 live CD and 1 install CD.
The instructions on the box,book and install sheet all differ:blink:

Anyway I installed on my old machine and tried it for a while but did not have enough time to really get to grips with this OS.

I am looking into changing OS in the future and have run a few BSD and Linux live CDs.
I decided that I really should take the time to try out the Suse 9.1 as I have the CDs etc...........trouble is it won't install.
I can boot into the installation which starts as expected then I get an error message saying that there are no hard drives on my machine and install cannot proceed.
I have tried all the install methods suggested and get nowhere.

Other linux and bsd systems can find the hard drive ........anyone have any ideas?

PC is a Dell Dimension 8400,250GigMaxtor HD,Pentium 4 (Prescott)3.20Ghz HT.
Running XP Home SP2 ,Windows is the only OS on the drive.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,
I had a similar problem with Western Digital Sata drives.
But they solves the problem with Suse 9.2 or 9.3 if I remember correctly.
Anyhow, Suse 10 also works well with new WD Sata 2 drives, so maybe you should download the new version?
Mrk

[clansman77]

-{ Quote: "Hope your fc5 install goes well. Are you doing a fresh install of fc5 or an upgrade from fc4?" }-
i am doing a fresh install.not an upgrade.do share your experience with desktop bsd with us..

[clansman77]

a link for those wanting to try out ubuntu and gnu/linux in general
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=63315

[Upasaka]

-{ Quote: "Hello,
I had a similar problem with Western Digital Sata drives.
But they solves the problem with Suse 9.2 or 9.3 if I remember correctly.
Anyhow, Suse 10 also works well with new WD Sata 2 drives, so maybe you should download the new version?
Mrk" }-

Mmmmm,
A 5 CD download.........thanks but I found someone that wanted the suse CDs.

Having looked at all the write ups un Linux distros and seen Xandros recommended as being easy to work with I took the plunge ,downloaded and installed today.

It is SOOOOO simple!

Installing could not be easier, much easier than any Windows install,adding updates ,applications and new programs is so easy I thought I had it wrong........expecting the usual installer etc.........click and its in:blink:

There is a lot to learn but mainly because it is different to windows and the amount of customisation possible is awesome.

But from start to finish,install was @ 45 minutes,all running and connected to the internet.

[clansman77]

interesting read for those who is ready to take a linux plunge..
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=58017

[dog]

While on the subject of what to choose / new to linux etc. This hands on Introduction Guide is nice ad maybe helpful to some - http://howtos.linux.com/guides/Intro-Linux/

[Lamehand]

I've been running Breezy Badger for about a week now and using it every day and i can't think of a reason why i haven't installed it earlier, it's great not to have to fight with spyware, crapware or whatever it's called.
No unneeded services running in the background either.
For me the reason(s) to use this OS is not so much that it's free of charge but the stability and the way you can set it up to your own liking without the usual bloat.

I say just jump in and learn, it is an eyeopener!
Thanks Dog for the link, i could use that one. ;)

regards
Lamehand

[dog]

Seeing as Mepis has been recommended several times, I just installed it ... The first impression is good, but I still prefer my customized Mandriva (which does everything I need) - but given time who knows - It looks fairly decent so far - pretty good codec pack installed but it's missing a few, which I'll install as it doesn't like my iPod rips. >:( I'm also going to try Gentoo and Xandros over the next few days. It's funny, how the "Linux Fever" grips you ... I think these are the only remaining main distros I haven't tried yet. Mandriva remains my favourite ... SuSE in second ... Debian's OK so is ubuntu (actually kubuntu as I prefer KDE over Gnome) ... the others I'm not overly impressed with (notably FC 5 and Linspire [I got the free 5.0 version on the mixup with the Distrowatch listing]) ... I think I've tried the majority of the distros now ... at least the top 50 @ Distrowatch (minus the gateway/firewall ones).

@ Lamehand ... go up a directory - Linux.com has many howto's (lots of good stuff :))

Another good guide/howto for converting media files to DVD format is at the Gentoo forums (it's great if you're into that) - http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=117709

[dog]

Ps. Seeing as Linux is free ... why not spend some cash on learning material. Here are couple of good books IMO, if anyone is interested - and more of a bookworm - nice resources.

These are amazon.ca links ...

Linux Bible 2006 (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471754897/ref=si_1_1/701-9629899-3490710) Comes with several distros on disc. ;)

Hacking Exposed Linux, 2nd Edition (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0072225645/qid=1146587633/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/701-9629899-3490710) - I'm working my way through this one ATM.

Steve

[clansman77]

dog, do share your experience with gentoo.i am planning to try that after sometime,when i am more experienced..

[Lamehand]

@ Dog;
Thanks, i have something to do now, very informative site. ;D

greetings
Lamehand

[iceni60]

Dog, did you install the latest Mepis beta? that's the one which is now based on Ubuntu, i think it's version 6.

also, Arch is supposed to be really good distro. it's a text based distro like Gentoo so it's a great distro for people who want to learn more about Linux. i'm still not totally sure how difficult it is though
http://archlinux.org/about.php
http://archlinux.org/

there's also something called Underground Linux which is based on Arch and i think is abit easier to install
http://www.ludos.org/portal/node/15

[Lamehand]

I'am looking, and have been looking, for another background for my desktop (gnome) but so far no luck.I've seen very elaborate wallpapers but that is not what i want.
I'am looking for a single coloured background but i can't find it, if possible in green or blue.

Any suggestions where to get this will be appreciated.

regards
Lamehand

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "I'am looking, and have been looking, for another background for my desktop (gnome) but so far no luck.I've seen very elaborate wallpapers but that is not what i want.
I'am looking for a single coloured background but i can't find it, if possible in green or blue.

Any suggestions where to get this will be appreciated.

regards
Lamehand" }-
do you wan it to say gnome, or just something plain? here's one i have
http://www.stormchild.net/images/desktop_pics/storm_on_the_ocean_1024x768.jpg

if you want it in a different size there're more sizes at the bottom of this page.
http://www.stormchild.net/art.html

here's one which says gnome
http://mirrors.ibiblio.org/pub/mirrors/gnome/teams/art.gnome.org/backgrounds/GNOME-MKKSGnomeWallpaper4Blue_1024x768.jpg

if you want to change the way things look you can go to Gnome Look, just click on the column on the left to select the option you want - Wallpapers, icons, (GTK 2., Metacity, these are desktop themes) etc
http://www.gnome-look.org/

i've changed everything, splash screen, logon screen, i've even changed all the brown text to blue during bootup and put an Ubuntu grub screen in too 8)

here's my desktop atm
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9048/screenshot6uj.th.png (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshot6uj.png)

[dog]

You may find what you're looking for at these sites:

http://www.kuznetsov.uklinux.net/gallery.php

http://www.easylinuxcds.com/wallpapers/thumbs1.shtml

http://www.linuxforum.com/linux_wallpaper.php

[sosaiso]

So, I've been practicing my Kubuntu for awhile, I'd have to thank you all for great reading material.

However, I've been doing a lot of office work as well, and that has not been going well. OpenOffice doesn't seem to like to keep its formatting the same way when ported to Windows .doc's. Is there a program that will do this better? And OO seems to be running slightly slower on my computer than I'd like, but I understand it's the better Office alternative right?

[dog]

-{ Quote: "dog, do share your experience with gentoo.i am planning to try that after sometime,when i am more experienced.." }-Will do ... I'm gonna try Xandros next - after playing with Mepis further

[clansman77]

anyone tried that linux bible dog mentioned??how is it?seems like you will get so many distros...for those who cant get the distro in anyother way this seems a pretty goood option

[Lamehand]

I've seen a couple i really like, specially the one where the penguin shoots the MS logo.

Thanks for the info.
Lamehand

[bktII]

sosaiso,

Since you are using the KDE, give the word processor in KDE Office a try. I used the KDE office suite, in addition to OO, when I had Linspire OS installed. IMO it is a good one, just not multi-platform (yet).

I don't believe that formatting issues across apps are completely solved yet, but is getting close.

bktII

P.S. I have also had some minor formatting issues with AbiWord, of GNOME Office, in Windows and Ubuntu.

[sosaiso]

Yea, I've had problems with the KDE version as well. I guess I'll just stick with booting into windows for all the word formatting duties.

[iceni60]

here are ways to speed up OOo. this first one is down the page to Speeding Up OpenOffice.orgs' Launch
http://www.linuxjournal.com/comment/reply/8308
http://oooauthors.org/en/FAQs/faqsetup/86

here's a thread about it
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=9925

[dog]

-{ Quote: "dog, do share your experience with gentoo.i am planning to try that after sometime,when i am more experienced.." }-My first attempt with Gentoo wasn't successful - I'll have to print out their Installation FAQ and try it again ... Overall Mepis and Xandros don't seem too bad, but I ran into some hardware issues, that I didn't want to invest the time into trying to fix (they just didn't float my boat enough to warrant the time and energy) - I'm back to Mandriva (By far my favourite) SuSE 10 and Fedora 5 (which I currently config'ing). When I try Gentoo again ... I'll report back

[WSFuser]

hey dog, does Mandriva offer an update program similar to SuSE's Yast?

[dog]

-{ Quote: "hey dog, does Mandriva offer an update program similar to SuSE's Yast?" }-Yes, PRMDrake (Screenshot) ... You can add repositories as you wish ... use urpmi @ either to add - http://www.mandrivausers.org/easyurpmi/ or http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/

Plus you can add anyother lists you find ;)

[clansman77]

thanks dog for the update
another site here for wallpapers
http://discoverlinux.blogspot.com/2006/02/linux-wallpapers.html

[WSFuser]

how up-to-date are those lists btw? thanx for the screenshot too.

[bktII]

I received the Fedora Core 5 DVD several days ago and just finished upgrading my Fedora Core 4 installation.

Still testing things out, but the upgrade appears to have went well. My Applications Menu is mangled up and I've got an issue with vlc media player that I'm trying to resolve (a shared library issue). Can stream audio with RealPlayer just fine. All my shell scripts in /usr/local/bin are present and functional as well as my Java apps in /opt.

bktII

[dog]

-{ Quote: "how up-to-date are those lists btw? thanx for the screenshot too." }-Fairly ... The updates are usually couple of days behind ... example the Ethereal update was 2 and 1/2 days behind the announcement, which isn't a big deal IMO ... you can add repositories as you wish ... BTW if you're unconfortable with compiling ... SuSE 9.3 RPMs work fine with Mandriva 2006 .... I've used them on occasion - I'm still not a master at conpiling my own from an archive (sadly :'( - I continue to work on it though ;))

[WSFuser]

-{ Quote: "Fairly ... The updates are usually couple of days behind ... example the Ethereal update was 2 and 1/2 days behind the announcement, which isn't a big deal IMO ... you can add repositories as you wish ... BTW if you're unconfortable with compiling ... SuSE 9.3 RPMs work fine with Mandriva 2006 .... I've used them on occasion - I'm still not a master at conpiling my own from an archive (sadly :'( - I continue to work on it though ;))" }-
compiling? what do u need to compile?

[dog]

-{ Quote: "compiling? what do u need to compile?" }-Sorry, I meant trying to build an RPM from a tarball. (I had a few drinks yesterday so my thinking was all over the place ) ... Installing from a tarball is easy ... Here's an example for firefox

Open Console

su
password
updatedb
locate firefox-1.5.0.3.tar.gz
(It'll give you the output - the path to the file) example /home/User/Download/Browser_Downloads/firefox-1.5.0.3.tar.gz
cd /usr/lib (to change dir)
tar -zxvf /home/User/Download/Browser_Downloads/firefox-1.5.0.3.tar.gz (to exact to your library)
ln -s /usr/lib/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox (to make a symlink in /usr/bin)

That's it :)

[dog]

Now you're using 1.5.0.3

[bktII]

Restored my Fedora Core 4 image yesterday P.M.

Will maybe try FC5 again in a few months. PostgreSQL was broken on the upgrade. MySQL worked and I could access via Java-based SQL Clients, but both mysql-administrator and mysql-query-browser were broken. None appeared to be an easy fix. Gbnumeric also broken.

[ronjor]

Out the Window

-{ Quote: "Are Linux operating systems as easy as promised? We test them out." }-
Story (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114727136610348924-Et3a0yO82d_xJdMWN_y8xKXLl7c_20060521.html?mod=blogs#)

[iceni60]

-{ Quote: "Out the Window


Story (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114727136610348924-Et3a0yO82d_xJdMWN_y8xKXLl7c_20060521.html?mod=blogs#)" }-
my Ubuntu runs perfectly, infact it's so good i'll never use windows again 8)

the fact this guy was desparate to get Linux for Dummies probably tells you abit about him ;D

-{ Quote: "In the end, I decided to buy an upgrade copy of Windows XP for $100. That normally wouldn't be a good idea since it doesn't upgrade the file system. But it's a good solution until Vista arrives." }-

[Sputnik]

Personally I became a big fan of Fedora, I used many other distributions before but they don't come close to Fedora for me. Ubuntu in my opinion has way too many open bugs, and they make too many changes in the "core system" while their staff is too small to have things worked out and tested very well. Of course the fact it's based on Debian is a big plus.

Fedora is very stable and secure (build-in firewall and SELinux). It also has a big community and it has all the profit from the very expirienced Red Hat employees. Things like multimedia are missing but can easy be installed using 3rd party packages (Livna and FreshRMPS).

[aigle]

BTW, it is a fact that linux is not easy for any beginner due to command line interface, I am not talking about the usesr here who like to play around with every thing.

[Sputnik]

Linux is not for ready for the "normal user". But face the fact, most "normal users" can't even setup a proper Windows installation... :wacko:

However when you're a computer enthousiast Linux will serve you with every you can wish for. Also for corporate and workspaces demanding a high level of security there is a very bright near future for the big Linux Distributions for sure!

[WSFuser]

u said it well sputnik, that being said tho, i am waiting for linux to become more mainstream and ready for "normal" users.

[sosaiso]

I thought the article ronjor pointed out can sum up most experiences pretty well. It works well if you're not doing anything special. [aka casual surfing, etc.]

But if you're doing heavy office duties or even a student who must work with various programs for school, Linux is not the answer. At least not yet.

[Bubba]

@ sosaiso,

Your SUSE 10.1 post and those members posts pertaining to such has been split off into a thread of it's own. Please follow the below link to continue the discussion.

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=139868

Thanks,
Bubba