Linux help wanted...

Penguin · Post by **Penguin** » 2003-10-28 03:58am

Just installed Linux Mandrake 9.0
BUT, i can't do anything...

Sad thing is i've been using windows for far too long, so i'm stuck

Could anyone out-there please help me, perhaps if you know
some-sort-of tutorial, or just a guide...
Then i'll be a happy little sick F*** again

thx...

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2003-10-28 06:17am

The easiest way is to set yourself goals then push yourself to do them.
...By easy I mean most efficient

For example, when I first installed a Linux distro my first goal was to try and get the GUI running, which wasn't exactly easy (old slackware).

Mandrake should have taken care of that part for you though. Think of something you want to do

Use instant messaging, browse the web, play games, get windows apps working.

Also, run down to the bookstore and find something that teaches you the basics. Much easier then trying to get answers out of Linux gurus, trust me on that.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2003-10-28 09:32am

1. Insert WinXP CD
2. Reboot the computer
3. Install WInXP

All your Linux worries will be gone

Penguin · Post by **Penguin** » 2003-10-28 10:16am

Well, thanx anyway...

Would still be nice to get something solid to work on...

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-10-28 11:41am

What do you want to do? I mean, do you even have a GUI? Is networking working? We need specifics.

Penguin · Post by **Penguin** » 2003-10-28 01:18pm

ok, sorry guys, i'm not being specific here...

ok, i got gui up (mandrake does that by standard)
i'm running a 1.3 ghz intel celeron, 128 mb gf4ti4200 grafic, soundblaster pci 128 soundcard, with 512 mb ram.

first things first: i can't get any sound from the damn things, that means no music, no sounds from the programs (games and such)...
i can use most of the preinstalled programs, word-editing and the like.
but, i can't get it on the net (using a adsl system that should pretty much give it an ip automatically), i can't see if there is any sort of firewall running (a must for all with a solid connection) and i can't figure out how the hell theese .rpm files (anything you download for linux is for some reason in .rpm) works...

Ohh, by the way, if anyone out there knows about a program called "wine" (an "windows-emulator" for games) i would be pretty happy to hear how it works, and if it is able to rune other windows programs, and if not, what can...

Basicly, i think i was looking for something as different from windows, but with the many programs build for windows.
*sigh* it's a hard world out there...

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-10-28 01:35pm

Penguin wrote:first things first: i can't get any sound from the damn things, that means no music, no sounds from the programs (games and such)...

Run the Mandrake Control Center and check under Hardware; it may have installed the wrong driver. Sound Blasters are fairly well-supported under Linux, which kind of makes me curious why you're having problems.

i can use most of the preinstalled programs, word-editing and the like. but, i can't get it on the net (using a adsl system that should pretty much give it an ip automatically), i can't see if there is any sort of firewall running (a must for all with a solid connection) and i can't figure out how the hell theese .rpm files (anything you download for linux is for some reason in .rpm) works...

For your network stuff, again, use the Mandrake Control Center, go to Network, and run through the Network Configuration wizard. Make sure it's set to "automatically get an IP address".

As for RPMs, that stands for RedHat Package Manager. It's basically a specially designed archive that requires a special program to open; Mandrake uses urpmi. In Konqueror, you can simply double-click on a .rpm file to install it, although since installing programs requires root privileges, you need to specify the root password.

Ohh, by the way, if anyone out there knows about a program called "wine" (an "windows-emulator" for games) i would be pretty happy to hear how it works, and if it is able to rune other windows programs, and if not, what can...

WINE is not just for games, but for any Windows program. At any rate, the version that MandrakeSoft included with MDK9.0 is broken. Go to http://www.winehq.org and download the latest version; then search Google for winesetuptk and install that. winesetuptk greatly simplifies the process of getting WINE working properly...

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-10-28 01:45pm

Penguin wrote:ok, i got gui up (mandrake does that by standard)
i'm running a 1.3 ghz intel celeron, 128 mb gf4ti4200 grafic, soundblaster pci 128 soundcard, with 512 mb ram.

There are many SB128 PCI cards, do you know specifically which one you have?

first things first: i can't get any sound from the damn things, that means no music, no sounds from the programs (games and such)...

Sound on Linux can be a pain ... but do as Crazy wrote to see if Linux even detects it.

i can use most of the preinstalled programs, word-editing and the like.
but, i can't get it on the net (using a adsl system that should pretty much give it an ip automatically)

Do you use PPPoE for your ADSL connection, or do you simply plug it in and get a DHCP lease?

i can't see if there is any sort of firewall running (a must for all with a solid connection)

You are unlikely to need a firewall. I don't recall how to check under Mandrake if ipchains (the standard Linux firewall) is active, though.

and i can't figure out how the hell theese .rpm files (anything you download for linux is for some reason in .rpm) works...

Actually, no. You can get stuff in a bunch of other ways too. But you should just be able to double-click the rpm file and Mandrake will install it for you, after prompting for the root password.

Ohh, by the way, if anyone out there knows about a program called "wine" (an "windows-emulator" for games) i would be pretty happy to hear how it works, and if it is able to rune other windows programs, and if not, what can...

See Crazy's posts.

Basicly, i think i was looking for something as different from windows, but with the many programs build for windows.
*sigh* it's a hard world out there...

WINE will not run all Windows programs, so be warned.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-10-28 03:01pm

phongn wrote:
i can't see if there is any sort of firewall running (a must for all with a solid connection)
You are unlikely to need a firewall. I don't recall how to check under Mandrake if ipchains (the standard Linux firewall) is active, though.

It's in the Mandrake Control Center. Under Security, check DrakFirewall and un-check the box "Everything (no firewall)" which enables incoming iptables firewalling.

Oh, and about it being unlikely to need a firewall... Mandrake, like RedHat, installs a bunch of daemons such as Webmin by default. It's best to simply block those to the outside Internet, since it's not like you should need to adminster your home PC from somewhere else.

ipchains, by the way, is now outdated like ipfwadm. The current firewalling code in the kernel is iptables. Slightly different syntax, I still haven't checked it out on my own.